Venetian Moon
by bunniko
Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts. Final update 21301
1. Venetian Moon: Introduction

Venetian Moon: Introduction

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best.

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_"

"We danced our youth in a dreamed-of city.

Venice – Paradise, proud and pretty.

We lived for love, and lust, and beauty.

Pleasure then our only duty . . .

Floating then 'twixt heaven and earth

And drunk on Plenty's blessed mirth.

We thought ourselves eternal then,

Our glory sealed by God's own pen.

But Paradise, we found, is always frail.

Against man's fear will always fail."

~ "_Dangerous Beauty_"

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__

It was a time of wealth and plenty. The canals flowed cleanly through the city, reflecting light from the many candles illuminating the gaming and pleasure houses filling the city. Late into the night, raucous laughter and music poured out from these houses. In but a year, fate would turn on this hedonist city, but for now, all is light, laughter and lust. 

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Delora Petrucho stood on the inner balcony, looking down on her charges, lost in thought. Five girls lived in her house. All were destined to become courtesans. They didn't realize it yet. But Mother Petrucho, as they called her, did not run an orphanage/school out of the kindness of her heart. Oh, that was a part of it. After all, something must be done with Venice's unwanted daughters. But kindness didn't pay the bills. She couldn't afford to run a charity. Besides, what else was she to do with five impoverished girls of marriageable age? The only men who would wed a dowry-less woman would be men who couldn't gain a wife any other way. Mother Petrucho had experienced that first-hand. She thought her girls' chances were better as courtesans. But they were romantics. She knew they would resist this life.

Below her, Raye knelt by the fire, staring into it. Her long, raven-black hair and deep purple eyes would no doubt make her quite popular. She was the daughter of a powerful senator's mistress. The mistress had died, leaving her two-year old daughter here, fatherless, nameless and friendless. She was a quiet young lady, of sixteen years, but her temper was volatile.

Lita sat near the window, watching the passers-by with great interest. She had been the daughter of a traveling couple from Rome. They had been tragically killed in a gondola accident. Lita had nearly drowned. She had been five when she was brought here. She retained a deep fear of gondolas and refused to ride in them alone. Eleven years had not been enough to still her fears, though blessedly, the nightmares had left her a few years ago.

Amy sat at the table, poring over a book on politics. Her mother was a well-respected courtesan of rare intelligence. However, she had fallen in love with a common artisan. Their affair, which would have ruined her had she been discovered, had ended badly. The courtesan had been left carrying his child. Disappearing for a year, claiming that she had to tend to a sick friend in Rome, she had holed up at Signora Petrucho's home. With no one to take the child, Amy's mother had left her there, with the instruction that when the child reached the age of sixteen, she would provide for her own keep. Amy's sixteenth birthday had passed, and her mother's contributions to the household had stopped.

Mina and Serena were twins. Both had just turned sixteen. Mother Petrucho had waited until their birthdays to prepare the girls, hoping that they would support each other through this difficult time. No one called Serena by her birth name, however. Sometime in childhood, she had been nicknamed Bunny and it had stuck. Both girls had long blond hair and blue eyes, though in both cases, Bunny's were lighter than Mina's. Their story was the saddest of them all. Their father was a rich, powerful and arrogant man. His wife had had the audacity to bear him a female child as their firstborn! To make matters worse, she had not brought one useless female into his household, but two! The frightened woman had summoned her childhood friend, Delora and implored her to save the girls. The midwife had managed to find a stillborn female babe. She presented the dead child to the disgusted husband as Delora spirited the girls out of the house. But before she was able to leave in search of a wetnurse for the infants, she heard the cruel man enter her old friend's room and declare, "At least you had the good sense not to deliver a live female."

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Mother Petrucho shook her head to clear it of her thoughts. The past was dead, the present was temporary. Only the future was important. And in Venice, a woman had no real options. A woman could be two things, a wife – a silent, cowering thing only needed to bears sons for the Republic; or a courtesan – some of the best educated women in the world, who earned their livelihood on their backs. Either way, a Venetian woman lived her life in a cage. 

   [1]: mailto:Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com



	2. Venetian Moon: The Encounter

Venetian Moon: The Encounter

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best. (With the exceptions of the Generals. Their names, for clarification purposes only are:

Jedite – Jerome

Nephrite – Netheniel

Zoicite – Vincenzo

Malachite/Kunzite – Matteo.

I hope they capture some spirit of true Venetian names.)

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_" 

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Mother Petrucho took a deep breath and walked down the stairs. When she reached the bottom step, she clapped her hands. Instantly, five heads swiveled in her direction. The girls rose up obediently and quickly found seats around the table. The twins sat next to each other, flanked by Lita and Raye. Amy rose, closing her book, and took her usual place beside Raye.

Mother Petrucho walked to the front of the long table and looked each girl in the face for a long moment. Then, she spoke. "Girls, I know that you are expecting to continue your education today, but first, we need to talk about something." She paused a moment as the girls glanced at each other, wide eyed. When they returned their attention to her, she continued. "As you girls know, our funds are running lower and lower. There is no money to buy you girls a suitable marriage. It is your turn to support this household. Today, you will begin training to enter the world of courtesans."

The girls' gasps filled the room. Five pairs of eyes stared at her in shock and horror. They were to well trained too protest audibly, but she had known them long enough to read what they were thinking. "The life of a courtesan is not as bad as you might think." she asserted. She turned to Amy first. "Courtesans are the only women allowed in libraries. In fact, a few have even managed to be published!" 

Amy ducked her head, suddenly lost in thought as her dreams were mentioned.

She turned to Raye, "Courtesans are also outspoken. Indeed, some of the highest ranking men turn a careful ear to what a courtesan has to say." Turning to Lita, she noted, "You won't have to choose just one man as worthy of your attention. You can have a different companion each night." Then she looked at her youngest. "Successful courtesans wear only the best, eat only the best and are some of the most gorgeous women in the world."

Each of the girls looked at the table in front of her, blushes staining their pretty features. It was clear that they were all contemplating their options. Mother Petrucho had a little pity on them. "Go to your room girls. You have until supper to accustom yourselves to this. Tomorrow, we begin instruction." She swept from the room. 

Amy and Raye rose first. They headed up the stairs quickly, to the common room the girls shared. Lita followed closely after them, the twins taking their time. Shortly after they arrived in the room, Raye announced that she wanted to think outside. The girls agreed, and they slipped out of the house. Using a few coins Amy had managed to save, they hired a cheap gondola and set out. Once they were in new territory, they tied up the gondola and began to discuss the future planned for them.

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Meanwhile, in a lavish home full of obvious signs of wealth but little love, five men had gathered. Darien Mancuso stood, looking out the window at the canal. His friends laughed and drank as they talked of the coming war with the Turks and the good fortune that the French King would lend them his aid. Netheniel Viscusi and Matteo Luccese argued possible strategies against the Turks, whilst Jerome Trentini and Vincenzo Treviso preferred to discuss the merits of their favorite courtesans.

Darien was watching a group of girls walking the canal. They seemed to be deep in discussion. He didn't know why he was watching them. They were obviously poor, their dresses, even from his distance, obviously out of date and worn. But something drew his eye. Perhaps it was the odd hairstyle one of the girls wore. It reminded him of a pair of meatballs! Just then, almost as if she had sensed his thoughts, she turned and looked up at him. He felt like he had been pole-axed.

Noticing his expression, his friends wandered over to the window. Grinning mischievously, they grabbed Darien's arm and dragged him downstairs, where they met the girls. Five bright-eyed curious faces swung in their direction. Darien cast an icy glance at his companions, but they ignored him. Jerome, the most flirtatious of the bunch, swept the girls a bow, before introducing himself. "Good eve, ladies. Sorry to startle you. We were just fancying a gondola ride before the sun sets. Would you do us the honor of joining us?"

The five watched curiously as all the color drained out of one of the girl's faces. The blondes exchanged glances. The dark-haired one spoke first. "Do you always presume that any female alone would fancy a gondola ride?" Her tone, fiery and superior, surprised them.

Jerome swept her another bow, this one slightly mocking. "Forgive me. I did not intend to imply that you are women of easy virtue. I just assumed you would enjoy sharing our amusements as we kill a lazy afternoon."

The young girl whose hair was so black it seemed almost blue spoke then, her voice shy. "Oh please, don't be upset. It's just that she doesn't have any manners." The raven beauty turned on her friend, whispering something that sounded a bit menacing and her companions laughed.

Jerome seemed slightly mollified, though it still stung to have been rejected in front of his friends. Indeed, they seemed highly amused. "At least, tell us your names, so that I know whom I have offended."

Lita found her voice. "I suppose you could at least introduce yourselves as well?" she queried feistily, noticing that the brown-haired man was quite attractive. 

Jerome ran his hand through his short blond hair, a sure sign of confusion. "But of course. I am Jerome. This is Netheniel, Matteo, Vincenzo and Darien." Each man nodded as his name was mentioned. Jerome pointedly left off their last names, as they were all descended from fairly powerful families. He didn't want the girls to flee in utter shock that they were speaking to men so far about their station. And he found himself strangely curious about them, especially the raven-haired girl who had challenged him.

Her purple eyes serious, she studied the men in front of her. She could sense that there was more to them than they let on, but she felt that they were all right. She introduced herself, knowing her bubbly friends would introduce themselves as well. "I'm Raye." she said simply, noting the way Jerome seemed to be memorizing her.

The shy young girl spoke up next, speaking rather softly, "I'm Amy." Vincenzo watched her closely, and she fought a blush as well as the temptation to look down.

The feisty one stood up to her full height, and she was rather tall. "I'm Lita." She noticed that the man she'd been admiring, Netheniel, kept his eyes on hers.

Mina tossed her long blond hair and went first, as she was the older of the twins. "I'm Mina." Matteo's eyes were drawn to her hair as she flipped it, somehow feeling as if he had seen her do that somewhere else. He frowned in thought.

The girl with the odd hairstyle was last. She smiled brightly, and announced, "I'm Bunny." All five men swiveled their attention to her. Her smile faltered a bit as they stared at her. "What?" she demanded.

Darien spoke first, disbelief in his eyes, "Your name is Bunny?"

"Yeah. What of it?" she challenged, driven on by the coldness in his eyes, the mockery in his voice.

Darien shook his head. "What parent would name their child 'Bunny'?" he demanded.

"Hmph, shows what you know. My friends call me Bunny. You may call me Serena." Her temper flashed in her eyes and she turned to leave. 

The gondola they had rented was right in front of her and she would have had no problems if Lita, at that moment, hadn't given vent to her fear. "Bunny, no!" she cried out, trying to stop her from entering the thing that frightened her. She grasped Bunny's arm, but not fully. Bunny's forward momentum slid her arm out of Lita's grasp, but Lita's force knocked her off balance. Bunny let out a short cry as she fell, smacking her head against the boat's side. Lita moaned, her face pale. 

Amy leapt into action. Quickly, she was in the boat, lifting up the unconscious girl's head. Blood streamed from a cut above her hairline. Lita whimpered as Raye pulled her aside. Amy placed her hand against Bunny's mouth and nose, noting a shallow intake of air. "She's breathing." she reported to Mina, who was staring down at her sister in horror and fear.

Mina dutifully turned away from her sister and knelt in front of Lita. "She's breathing, Lit, it's okay." Raye shook her head. Lita only moaned, eyes glassy.

"She's not with us."

Mina muttered something softly. "Do you think the nightmares will return, then?"

"Lord, I hope not." Rei muttered fervently.

The five men stood there awkwardly, not certain what to do. Darien reacted first. He stepped into the gondola and lifted the girl into his arms, brushing Amy easily aside. Amy began to protest, but he ignored her, turning his attention to Vincenzo. "Vin, take this girl and find a doctor." Vin nodded and got in the gondola with Amy.

Amy protested. "But we can't . . . I mean . . ." she blushed under the stares of five men.

It was Mina who spoke up, her voice tinged with concern over her sister and her friend, but with an odd touch of pride. "We can't afford a doctor." she stated.

Darien grimaced in annoyance. Like he hadn't already surmised that. However, he read the pride in the girls and knew they wouldn't accept his charity. "It was my fault she got hurt. It's my responsibility. Don't worry about it." He hated to take the blame, but how else could he get them to agree to allow him to foot the bill. And dammit, he cared about this odd girl for some reason. Something inside him wouldn't let her risk infection.

Four pairs of wide eyes looked at him, making him very uncomfortable. Mina found her voice first. "Thank you," she said simply, the tears she had been fighting appearing in her eyes. She had been around long enough to know that her sister's injury could be serious, even fatal.

Tears were not something he could deal with. "Don't mention it." he muttered. He turned to enter his house, then turned back. "Netheniel, you bring Lita inside. Matteo, escort Mina to their home to inform their mother of what's occurring. Jerome and Raye, come with me." Each man nodded. 

Amy and Vincenzo headed off for a doctor. Matteo called for another gondola and he and a nervous Mina set out for Mother Petrucho's home. Jerome and Raye entered the house behind Darien.

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End Part One

Author's Notes: 

1. No, this is not a crossover. This is a historical drama, set in the time frame that "_Dangerous Beauty_" is also set in. For those of you that don't know, "_Dangerous Beauty_" is based on a real courtesan.

  1. This storyline works within the set storyline. It explores possible lives of the senshi as they head towards their final incarnation. It is very much a work in progress. Please feel free to give me input, especially your thoughts so far. 

   [1]: mailto:Bunnychan@sailormoonfan.com



	3. Venetian Moon: The Connections

Venetian Moon: The Connections

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

AN: Gomen for the delay, but life always interferes. I hope to have Part 3 out by Friday. Please review J

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best. (With the exceptions of the Generals.) This is Part 2. I recommend you read the Introduction and Part 1: The Encounter first.

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_" 

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Amy and Vincenzo rode in silence for a short while, before Vincenzo's curiosity gained the better of him. "Why did your friend react like that?"

Amy turned to him. "Excuse me?" she asked, wondering which friend and which reaction he meant.

Vincenzo noted the confusion in her eyes. He smiled what he hoped was a friendly smile. "Please, Amy, tell me something of yourself. I do hate to travel with strangers."

She looked at him curiously, that sixth sense of hers strangely quiet. She supposed that meant she could trust him. "What do you want to know?" she asked, shyly. She was unused to talking of herself.

"Well . . ." Vincenzo paused, not used to a woman who was truly shy. "Tell me the basics. How old are you? What's your life like? Those things."

Amy wondered at why he would be interested, but she complied. "I'm sixteen. I live with Mother Petrucho and my friends. My parents," she trailed off, gazing into the clear water. She dipped her hand in, letting the cool water run over her hand in a way that strangely seemed to give her strength. "Well, I don't know my parents. Mother Petrucho tells me that they loved each other, a highly scandalous thing. I think she knows more than she will say, but I don't know."

Vincenzo listened to her, watching her intently. His parents were probably as absent as hers, but at least he knew their names. "Who is Mother Petrucho, then?" he queried.

Amy turned to face him, pulling her hand from the water. "Well, she's . . . she's the woman that has taken care of us. I've been with her since I was born. I was the first she took in and the oldest of the five. She said my mother paid her to take me in. Mina and Bunny were next. They are daughters of a friend of hers. When we ask, though, Mother Petrucho clams up and her eyes grow distant and cold. Raye came next. We found her at the age of two, by her mother's body. Her mom was a courtesan who chose to become one man's mistress. Apparently she was abandoned when she bore a child. Lita was the last to join us. Her parents were visiting from Rome when she was five. They," her voice faltered for a moment, "they died in a gondola accident. They drowned. Lita almost did too."

Vincenzo tried to absorb the tale he was hearing. "So that had something to do with her actions?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes. Lita won't get into a gondola alone, and I guess she thought Bunny was just gonna take off alone. Her panic sometimes sets aside her logical thinking. Her panic set in when your friend Jerome suggested taking a pleasant cruise in a gondola. They aren't pleasant for her. Bunny wouldn't just take off in a gondola. Walking, sure, she would have just left. But, to get home, we would need the gondola. She may not always think straight, but she wouldn't leave us stranded."

Vincenzo made a sound of understanding, then told the gondolier to turn right. They didn't speak further as the gondola scraped up against the pavement and he jumped out. Making a motion for her to stay put, he went inside a small house and emerged moments later with an elderly gentleman. No one spoke on the trip back to the Mancuso home.

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Meanwhile, Mina and Matteo were headed in a different direction, and in a much nicer gondola. Matteo was curious about Mina, but he hid it well. Mina, however, did not. She asked him several questions, but he fielded them abruptly, not really answering them. Finally, her asked her to do him a favor. "Why don't you tell me about you and your friends?"

She eyed him curiously, then shrugged. "Okay. Well, lessee. Well first off, Bunny and I are twins. We are the youngest of the group, but the second to join it. Amy is the oldest, and the most serious. She reads all kinds of dull books." Matteo was surprised.

"She can read?"

Mina was putout. "We all can read." she snapped. "I prefer to read plays." She sighed dreamily. "I wish women were allowed to act." Matteo merely stared at her. She shrugged, then continued on. "Bunny and I were the second to come into Mother Petrucho's care. She won't talk about it though. Then Raye joined us. She was two when she came. Bunny found her. Mother Petrucho took us out in a gondola and Bunny tugged on Mother's hand. She pointed at a woman lying on the ground with a little girl sitting by her. Raye is a little older than us, but she tries to act like she's a lot older. She can be very bossy, especially to Bunny." Mina grinned. "But I think that's cause they're best friends. I mean, we're all best friends. It's just a little deeper between them." 

She looked at Matteo like he should understand, but he didn't. Instead, he merely looked back down at her, momentarily losing himself in her wide, blue eyes. Mina seemed to be lost in his grayish ones, too. The gondola jerked suddenly, breaking the moment.

Mina blushed, disoriented, then continued her tale. Matteo glanced around, displeased to note they were entering a rundown section of town. "Lita came to us last. Her parents were from Rome. They were taking a late night cruise when their gondola crashed into another. Formal clothing is so very heavy, it just soaked the water right up when they fell in. The gondolier only managed to rescue Lita. He brought her to Mother Petrucho. Ever since, Lita has been terrified of the canals. When we walk along them, she sticks close to the buildings. She used to have terrible nightmares. I only hope this incident won't bring more." Mina looked into the water, her bubbliness gone in an instant.

Matteo touched her hand, shocked to feel a connection with her. Her eyes found his and he cleared his throat. "Your sister will be fine. Darien will get the best care for her."

Mina smiled. "Oh, I know Bunny will be fine. Her head's as hard as a rock. Besides," she continued, placing her hand over her heart, "I'd know if she wasn't. I'd feel it."

Matteo glanced at her hand, definitely not thinking of feeling her heart. He caught himself and leaned back, cursing himself. Where had his control gone? Mina gave him a confused look, then became blessedly silent. He tried to keep his thoughts off her for the rest of the trip.

Finally, and yet, too soon, they reached her home. The gondola docked and Matteo leapt out of the gondola. Belatedly, he reached back to assist Mina, to find she was already climbing out on her own. He frowned. Mina was beginning to think it was the only thing he did. Matteo tried to hide his disdain for her home, but Mina could feel it. Her pride ran through her. They might not have much, but they had something! How dare he?

She strode through the house like a princess instead of a pauper, leaving Matteo in her wake. Belatedly, she realized Mother Petrucho didn't even know they had left and would most likely be furious with them. She beckoned for Matteo to wait in the common room. She headed upstairs to find Mother. 

Matteo wandered the sparse room idly. He could hear sounds of anger from upstairs. Suddenly, Mina appeared, pleading. He couldn't make out the words, but he knew she was upset. Without thinking, he took the stairs quickly to find the source of her distress. An irate woman stared at him.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"My name is Matteo Luccese. I was assigned to escort Mina home to inform you of Bunny's accident."

The woman froze at his family name. She curtsied to him. "I see. Well, thank you for your courtesy."

He inclined his head. "My pleasure, madame." Then he looked at Mina, "I really must be getting back."

"I'll go with you."

"Just a moment, young lady. You tell the girls that I am very displeased."

Mina nodded and took her leave, following Matteo. "I'm sorry for that."

"No need." Matteo replied, this time insisting on helping her into the gondola. "At least she cares."

Mina looked at him oddly, but they rode on in silence.

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Darien carried Bunny to his chambers, the only place he felt certain would not be intruded upon. He laid her on his huge bed, which Raye was staring at in shock. Jerome was trying vainly to push her through the door. Unfortunately for Raye, the lavishness of the room had thoroughly overwhelmed her. Finally, he abandoned all courtesy as he heard Darien's father approaching and lifted Raye into the air. Furious, she began to splutter, but he merely clamped a hand over her mouth. Darien's father knocked upon his son's door.

Darien groaned, and pulling the door to his bedchamber mostly closed, he went into the sitting room and opened his main door. "Yes, Father?"

Signore Mancuso cleared his throat. "Just wondering if you plan to join us for dinner?"

Darien groaned inwardly. "No, Father. The guys and I plan to have a rather full evening planned." He gave him one of those "you-know" smiles. Signore Mancuso merely nodded, amusement in his eye and walked away. Darien closed the door and shook his head, re-entering his bedchamber. 

Jerome released the furious woman, who turned on him with the fury of ten nuns. He held up his hands. "Would you rather have been seen by Darien's father?"

The fight went right out of her suddenly, but not because of Jerome's comments. No, it was Lita's moan from across the room that drew her attention and she rushed over, pushing the hapless Netheniel from her. Both Jerome and Netheniel bent over Lita as she whimpered. Raye murmured soothing syllables softly as she stroked her brow with cool hands. They watched amazed, as the young girl seemed to become calm beneath her friend's ministrations. 

Darien, however, was nothing but calm. This slip of a girl somehow made him feel fiercely protective. The need to help her burned his insides. All he could do however, was dab at the wound to staunch the bleeding. He found himself intently watching her pale face for signs of awakening. He glanced into the sitting room, relieved to notice that no one was watching him. He was sure his friends would stare in wonder at him, if not pack him off to the nuthouse immediately. He held one of her small hands in his and willed her to fight. It was as if some of his energy, his will was flowing into her.

Mere moments before the doctor entered the room, followed by Amy, Mina, Vincenzo and Matteo, Bunny stirred. She opened her impossibly blue eyes and stared up at him in confusion. A tiny frown marred her brow as she blinked to focus. Shock filled those gorgeous eyes as she recognized him, but in that instant, the doctor swooped in. 

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The doctor looked at the men. Lita had been moved to the large bed as well and the three girls were gathered about the bed. Lita had come around and seemed to be better, especially now that Bunny was fully awake. 

"The cut is not bad. Not bad at all." The doctor confided. "The blow to the head and her subsequent black-out were serious, but she should recover just fine. Her head may ache for a day or two, but unless she has any other fainting spells, I think she'll be just fine." Darien nodded and paid the doctor.

The man left, taking the gondola the girls had used to come here. The five men circled up, discussing things. 

"The state of the house they live in is disgusting! They are very poor." Matteo confided. 

Vincenzo nodded. "The girls are orphans as near as I can tell. They're damn lucky, that's what. At least someone took them in."

Matteo agreed and both men quickly shared what they had learned with the other three. Each seemed affected by the stories.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, the five girls were discussing the trouble they were in.

"Mother Petrucho is furious with us for sneaking out." Mina reported. Bunny only sighed. Amy frowned and Lita groaned.

"Well," Raye justified, "we needed to get out, to think. And besides, I've made my decision."

"You have?" Bunny asked incredulous.

Raye nodded, her eyes sparkling. Bunny looked at her first, then at Mina, who seemed to be shining oddly. Amy and Lita also were smiling and blushing. "I'm gonna do it." Raye announced.

The other three chorused the same. Bunny looked down at the sheet she was twisting in her hands. She had to admit that courtesans knew luxuries she'd only dreamed of and lived lives of more freedom than wives did. But still, she didn't like the idea of giving herself to someone she didn't love. But that was months away, she rationalized. After all, training would take at least through the fall. Maybe by then, the idea wouldn't repel her so. She looked up at the girls, knowing they wanted her to go with them, to experience the same things. And it was this or the convent. She forced a smile of her own and added her own agreement, praying she was making the right choice. But was there a right choice? She could be a whore and earn money to help Mother Petrucho, who had given her so much. She could abandon Mother Petrucho and her friends, and live a miserable life in a convent. Or she could become practically a slave, working from dawn til dusk for barely enough to eat, forever hungry, forever easy prey. What else would Venice let her be? 

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Note: To be continued!

   [1]: mailto:Bunnychan@sailormoonfan.com



	4. Venetian Moon: The Beginning

Venetian Moon: The Beginning

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best. (With the exceptions of the Generals.) This is Part 3. I recommend you read the Introduction, Part 1: The Encounter and Part 2: The Connections first. Also, I've revised this a bit, caught a few errors. Yup, you can call me a perfectionist. 

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_" 

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Matteo escorted the five girls home. The sight of Mother Petrucho's charity cases arriving home in a fashionable gondola with a handsome and wealthy young man caused many of the lower district people to stare and murmur amongst themselves. Matteo stared at them coldly, but the girls ignored them. They had never been fully accepted here. It was as if the people they lived amongst could sense that they weren't like them.

Several of the people who dwelt in this area were descendents of powerful families, but had fallen into poverty and disgrace at some point in history. But they knew the rich and powerful. And when they looked at these girls, they could see the bloodlines in them. Raye, Bunny and Mina wore their heritage unconsciously. Lita wore hers proudly. She didn't know if she was descended from someone powerful in Rome, but she knew that they had been wealthy. Amy looked very similar to her mother, though not even she was aware of that. But even more than that, it was obvious that these girls had not lived lives of hard labor. Though they lived in poverty, they had a few servants. The girls knew genteel practices, such as needlepoint. Yet they also knew how to read and write. 

Mother Petrucho had kept them apart from most of the people around them as well. This had greatly offended their neighbors as Delora was one of them, always had been. And yet she acted as if her charity cases were better than the rest of the poverty-stricken people! Yes, there was resentment in the neighborhood against this unusual family. Matteo could feel it. He wondered curiously at the girls' ability to ignore it.

They didn't ignore it. They simply weren't aware of it. They sensed a reserve, but they had led pretty sheltered lives. Resentment wasn't something they understood. They'd never consciously experienced it. They didn't spend much time out here, because, well, quite frankly, this was one of the few areas in Venice that wasn't kept very clean. At night, the homeless slept on the streets and used the canal for a bathing area. Many of the residents used it as a refuse disposal system. It was no wonder that Matteo's father and the other senators of Venice wanted to get rid of this blemish on their fair city. The only reason they couldn't was the fact that most of the people living here were true citizens. Venice was a republic, after all.

But as learned and intelligent as the city's senators and Doge were, they failed to see the danger of allowing the few cesspools like this one to exist. They simply didn'd see the true dangers they presented. Occasionally, epidemics would race through the city, but they had skilled doctors, and few besides the very poor or the very young would be lost. No, they reasoned, disease is a part of life. They overlooked the obvious for too long.

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Matteo nobly helped each of the girls out of the gondola. They thanked him sweetly, but were interrupted when Mother Petrucho swept down. "Such a spectacle!" she scolded, noticing the stares and murmurs, knowing what they meant. The poor and uneducated could be dangerous enemies. She hustled them all, including Matteo, inside. "Dinner was delayed for you, my headstrong girls. Go get cleaned up and Matilda will serve shortly." The girls all ducked their heads appropriately and fled upstairs, leaving Matteo facing their guardian. "Thank you for your help, good sir. We would like to thank you appropriately."

Matteo felt uncomfortable. He certainly didn't want to be thanked in a way that would be a drain on family resources. And he knew she would want to thank all five, which would definitely be a major drain, even if all she wanted was to provide them with a meal. But fate delivered unto him an idea. He caught sight of a woman carrying an elaborate gown upstairs. He knew instantly what kind of dress that was. "Signora Petrucho, I am honored that you feel my small aid is worthy of your kind regard." He demurred.

Mother Petrucho hid a smile. She had seen his eye catch the dress and seen the lust flare in his eyes. So this man found at least one of her girls attractive, did he? She looked him over, sensing that perhaps this man would be a good start for her girls. But she must not push him. No, she would wait to see what he suggested. "I do hope my girls were not overly exuberant. They aren't used to male company, and they are rather outspoken."

Matteo rejoiced to be given a chance to play this game, for at least he was comfortable with such falsehoods. "The latter is considered quite normal for courtesans. However, the former could be quite a limitation."

Mother Petrucho raised her eyebrows as if in surprise. "Did they tell you they were courtesans?"

Matteo smiled, seeing through her pretense. "No, but why else would they be raised to be so outspoken? Even among the poor, no man wants an outspoken wife." Even as he spoke, he dimly felt the paradox he lived in, but his education pushed it away. 

Mother Petrucho fought a sigh at his comments. "Very true. As for the male company, you saw what little there is of it." She gestured outside. "The rabble out there is not fit company for them. I have tried to hide the truth about their past from the girls, but it seems stamped upon them anyhow. They," again she gestured outside, "seem to sense a difference. They know the girls are different from them somehow and they resent it."

"The girls ignore it fairly well." he commented.

"They aren't aware of it. I've kept them safe from hostility and resentment. I want them to be happy." Her pretense had fully vanished as she looked out the window. "They had such painful beginnings."

Matteo suddenly felt intensely uncomfortable. She actually cared about these girls! His parents barely acted as if he was alive, unless he was needed to perform a duty of State. Deep in his soul he felt an odd wrenching . . . envy? With all his discipline as a soldier, he pushed it away. But he sensed that this woman had lived a painful life, and in her own way, was trying to help these girls have a brighter future. He cleared his throat. "Well, I really must be getting back. My friends and I have plans for tonight."

She turned back to him. "We haven't thanked you properly yet."

Matteo grinned, hoping his friends' interest in the group hadn't been feigned. "Well, I know one way to reward us." Mother Petrucho held her breath, hoping for what she thought was running through his mind. "It would honor us greatly if you would grant us the privilege of escorting your young charges on their first night as courtesans."

It wasn't very hard to read through that statement. Mother Petrucho bit back a smile at the idea. She pretended to consider. "Well," she prevaricated, "that could be arranged." Matteo gave her a small bow as he read through her pretenses as well. "Again, my gratitude for your kind care for my girls."

Matteo recognized the dismissal for what it was. "Do send round a message to the house of Mancuso when the girls are ready." He showed himself out, his mind full of thoughts.

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Matteo returned to the house of Mancuso much later than expected. Darien met him at the entry to his chambers, his icy blue eyes sparking with annoyance. Matteo's gray ones met his with laconic interest. He nodded and sauntered over to the table, where wine was waiting. Negligently scooping a full goblet up, he tasted the fine drink, then tossed out a comment. "Tis hardly sunset, Darien. The fun won't start without us."

The other guys laughed as Darien rolled his eyes in irritation. "Do tell us what caused your delay, Matteo." he bid sarcastically.

Matteo shrugged his shoulders gracefully. "Their mother wished to thank us."

Four pairs of eyebrows rose in true curiosity. "How so?" Vincenzo demanded.

Matteo grinned secretively. "Well, my dear companions, it would seem we have stumbled upon a group of courtesans-to-be." 

Vincenzo seemed shocked. "That quiet, intelligent Amy is going to be a common courtesan?" 

Matteo laughed. "I hardly think any of them will be 'common'. There's something very unique about those girls." He paused, then turned to rib his friend. "Besides, Vin, you didn't seriously think a girl as educated as Amy would be something else? What choice does she really have?"

Vincenzo thought about it, bemused by his own concerns. She would be highly unsuited for a wife, he knew. However, as a courtesan, her intelligence would be more acceptable. He tried to deny to himself that he cared what she did, but some connection, some bond had formed. 

Meanwhile, Darien demanded, "What did you say to her wish to 'reward' us? After all, it seems patently obvious that she couldn't afford to."

Matteo nodded, "True, but she is proud. So I offered her an idea she seemed to find most appropriate."

Four heads swiveled towards him, waiting. Matteo made them wait. Slowly, he drained his goblet. He'd been longing for some amusement. Finally, Jerome's patience broke. "Well, come on then!"

Netheniel sighed at Jerome's impatience. However, he was leaning forward with obvious interest. 

Matteo looked at each man, then gazed lazily into his wine. "I told her we would be honored if we were the lucky chaps to have the girls first." His usually icy demeanor hid his desire to laugh.

"You did what?!" Darien reacted first. Anger, shock, and a strange interest filled him.

"Excuse me? Did I hear right?" the stunned Jerome asked next. 

Netheniel was choking on his wine. "Seriously?"

Vincenzo merely stared at them in shock. "I do hope you didn't put it quite that way, Matteo." he scolded, even as a part of him found the idea of being the first to know Amy quite appealing.

Matteo grinned wolfishly. "Now you know me better than that. I exercised proper manners. Besides, I thought a bit of change might make for a memorable night before we go off to slaughter the Turks."

Darien was standing stock-still. Images of Bunny ran through his mind. She reminded him of someone. The other girls seemed somewhat familiar as well. "Y'know," he spoke suddenly, gaining the attention of the others, "there's something very familiar about those girls."

"I'll say." Vincenzo piped up. His thoughts were on Amy. "Amy looks very much like the courtesan the Doge favors."

"Indeed. And have you noticed how much Raye looks like Senator Verocu?" Jerome added.

Darien even added his two ducats. "Bunny and Mina look similar to Signora Gabriella de la Cruz, the wife of that strange Spaniard." Matteo nodded his agreement.

Netheniel was silent. His thoughts were on Lita, the Roman. "I wonder if Lita has powerful relatives in Rome?"

Vincenzo shook his head. "Amy didn't say. She merely insinuated that her parents were wealthy. She said nothing of whether or not there were any attempts to reach Lita's family."

"Why would the de la Cruz family have abandoned their daughters?" Jerome asked idly.

Darien answered that one with scorn. "Senor de la Cruz had been deeply displeased that his high-priced bride had dared to deliver a daughter, even if she was a dead one. Perhaps the poor woman was afraid to tell him the truth. That she had not only had one live daughter, but two."

Matteo nodded. "It is unusual, but Gabriella was always said to be a highly caring woman. No doubt she couldn't bear to witness any harm to her daughters."

"Like a life of poverty isn't harm." Darien snorted, his aristocratic nature showing.

Suddenly, they all became aware that the sun had set. Awkwardly, they all rose, hastily readying themselves. It would be very strange indeed if the most eligible, handsome and wealthy young men in Venice stayed home.

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The girls ate a very silent dinner. They knew that this day was the ending of one life and the beginning of another. Nervousness and excitement ran through them. When Mother Petrucho excused them, they hurried upstairs. Lying on each girl's poor bed, they found a gorgeous dress. Sharp cries of excitement could be heard. Even Bunny was entranced by the beauty of the gowns. Quickly they hung the gowns with care, then changed into their thin, worn nightgowns. As they lay down on their pallets, their minds were wandering over the events of the day. Soon, Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina were fast asleep. Bunny, however, rose silently and knelt by the window. She gazed up at the moon, the one celestial object that never ceased to draw her in. 

Her mind wandered over the events of the day. Her head still ached a bit, and she wasn't sleepy after her unwanted nap. She didn't understand why she had gotten so upset at Darien. He was just being an aristocrat, she thought with contempt. It wasn't as if that should have angered her so much. No, she mused, there was definitely something else. Something she couldn't quite figure out.

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**__**

The Next Morning: Courtesans in Training

The girls awoke early, even Bunny, who had passed a restless night. Matilda, Mother Petrucho and a woman they didn't know swept in, rousing them quickly. Mother Petrucho's first words threw ice on all the girls, especially Bunny. "Girls, the Turks are getting ever closer. Because of this, you must debut no later than one week from today."

The girls rose unsteadily. They looked at each other with concern and nervousness. They had thought they would have time to perfect this, to build up their confidence.

"I know that this doesn't seem like much time, but you girls are clever. Your looks will do most of the work for you."

The cloaked woman stepped forward. She pushed back her cloak to reveal a shining mass of blue-black hair, intelligent blue eyes and flawless skin. The girls gasped, looking from her to Amy. Amy stared in shock. "My name is Leila. I am one of the most successful courtesans in Venice. I am here because I owe Signora Petrucho a debt I can never repay. For her, I will turn you girls into courtesans. Your success or failure will depend on you." Her eyes rested on Amy for a moment, pain filling them. "Yes, Amy, I am your mother. You might as well know it now, for all of Venice will know when they first see you." She paused. "I had hoped you would look more like him."

Amy's eyes filled with pain. She had never thought an encounter with her birth mother would be so cold.

The woman looked at all of them suddenly, her eyes seeking something within all of them. Finally, she spoke again. "You girls are my legacy. I am retiring. Very few courtesans can last as long as I have, though I was only 15 when you were born, Amy." Her face was a cold mask. "My mother needed money desperately. I became a courtesan at 14. A courtesan usually only remains in favor 'til she reaches the age of 22 or so. Because of this, you must always be at your best if you do not wish to spend your remaining years in poverty. Many courtesans marry merchants after their popularity wanes." She walked over to the window and pulled the fabric covering over it. "First, we must get you ready."

The next thing the girls knew, they were taking turns having their senses overwhelmed. Each took her turn in a sensuous bath, the water scented with a delicious scent, a different one to fit each girl's character. Each one endured the exfoliation of her skin and the rubbing of her body with a matching scented oil. Then, each one had her hair pulled through a strange hat that separated it into tiny sections. The five laughed at each other's appearance, until the three women began to work on them. They had decided that the girls' natural hair colors were satisfactory, so they began rubbing in scented oil that would bring out the sheen and beauty of their hair under candlelight. The only exception was Lita, who was going to have her brown hair highlighted with copper. This process took up most of the day, and when the girls had nothing else to do, they were trained by Leila in proper facial expressions, seduction techniques and choosing a lover wisely.

The next day was more hands-on for the girls. After the scented baths, which were to become a daily regimen, and the elaborate dressing on their hair, they came down to breakfast. Breakfast was an object lesson, as the girls learned to modify their already perfect manners into seductive manners. "Every movement, every look, must be temptation." Leila instructed, as she demonstrated a rather shocking way to devour a banana. Next, they went upstairs to learn how to walk.

Delora had already trained them in a rather suggestive walk, without their knowing. The old trick of a book on the head was merely a refresher course for them, until Leila showed them their shoes. Though the shoes were exquisite, they also had at least 6 inches of platform! Lita's were the exception, since she was already unusually tall her shoes were only perhaps 2 inches thick. Still, it took them quite some time to feel comfortable walking in the shoes, and Bunny, Mina and Raye took more than their fair share of spills. Even after three days of practice, Bunny still paled when she took the flight of steps in those shoes. Of course, she was the shortest, so her shoes were the highest, but she still took quite a bit of teasing for her clumsiness.

The training wore on. They were instructed on the application of face paint, one of the things Mina found most intriguing. Indeed, she felt that this whole thing would be a great role. She began to take on a persona, rather than transform her real self into a courtesan. Bunny enjoyed looking her best, but she still was quite nervous and uncomfortable with the whole idea. If truth were to be told, as their first night as real courtesans grew closer, they all felt more and more naïve. And then, on the last day of training, they entered their room to find a nude man awaiting them, as well as Leila. 

The poor man blushed beet-red and his eyes darkened as five wide-eyed girls stared at him in shock, confusion and some curiosity. The least shocked was Amy, since she had read quite a bit about human anatomy, but then again, she was the shyest of them all, so she was still terribly embarrassed, both for him and herself. Leila spoke suddenly. "Don't be afraid. There is nothing to fear. If you show fear, you will earn resentment. Resentment will not pay the bills." She then proceeded to show the girls how to pleasure a man with their hands and mouths, teaching them exactly what touch where would produce the desired response. The girls watched in wonder, soon forgetting their embarrassment.

The week passed quickly and the girls were soon gowned for their debut. They entered the common room one at a time, each one descending when she was finished, to await her friends.

Amy was finished first. She was clothed in a gorgeous dress the color of deep ocean water. Its low-cut bosom and tight waist set off her figure to perfection. Her short tresses shone a deep blue in the candlelight. Matching earrings mimicked a waterfall on either side of her face. Her hair was swept into artful knots, suggesting a day on a boat at sea, delightfully tossed but not rumpled. A delicate necklace of gold, set with a blue stone, graced her slim throat.

Lita descended second. Her brown hair was the only one that had been touched with henna, and now it glowed like burnished copper. Her gown was a deep russet over gold. Gold earrings with deep red stones inset dangled from her earlobes, glittering brightly. Her was upswept, leaving tendrils to curl about her neck seductively. A green ribbon, chosen to offset the russet and gold and to match her eyes, was woven into her hair. About her neck she wore a matching necklace that dipped suggestively into her low bodice.

Raye was the third to come down. Her look was disarmingly simple. A purple ribbon encircled her throat. A simple but exquisite purple gown clung to her body like second skin. Delicate earrings graced her ears, simple stones that changed colors as the candlelight glanced upon them, shifting them from deep red, to passionate purple, to a mesmerizing violet capriciously. Her raven-black hair shone with purple highlights due to the scented oil. Her hair was also done simply. Her hair was a mass of slight curls, flowing past her waist.

Mina emerged finally, in a gorgeous dress of orange. Her hair was drawn into an intricate half ponytail. The upper portion was woven into a knot, while the lower half was allowed to flow freely to her waist, with the slightest hint of a curl. Gracing her ears were gold earrings that dangled to her chin. She wore no necklace, as the bodice of her gown was embellished with gold embroidery that needed no adornment.

Finally, Bunny carefully came down the stairs, managing not to look as nervous as she felt about those treacherous steps. Her hair was done up in her traditional buns, but red stones had been set inside them. She wore a gown of white with red roses stitched intricately upon it. About her slim neck was a choker of pearls, and matching pearls shone from her earlobes. Her long blond hair, which normally reached to the ground, only fell to her ankles due to the added platforms beneath her feet.

The girls stared at each other for a moment, then began to talk excitedly, praising each other's appearance and making small jokes. Finally, Mother Petrucho, Leila and Matilda descended, dressed in fine gowns provided by Leila and done up rather nicely themselves. "We will accompany you to the arranged gaming house, where the men we have already engaged for you will meet you." Leila spoke. "Be certain to treat them with respect, kindness and, above all, do not be nervous." She looked each one in the eye. "You are beautiful, intelligent young women. I know that you will succeed tonight. There is no turning back."

The girls nodded their understanding.

Mother Petrucho moved to each of her girls. "Amy, don't be too shy. Raye, watch your temper. Lita, do your best to hide your fear of the canals. Mina, don't babble endlessly. Bunny, walk carefully, but confidently. And all of you, go easy on the wine and food. Keep your wits about you."

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Mother Petrucho had sent round a missive to the Mancuso home the day before. Darien had crumpled it in his fist, but passed the news on to his friends. He had other concerns to deal with. For example, Beryl.

The day after Bunny and her friends had entered his life, another woman invaded his domain. She entered even more dramatically, although not totally unexpectedly. His uncle returned from Rome, along with his fiancée and her father. When Darien finally got a moment alone with his uncle, the poor man could only explain that she refused to wait. Darien had groaned. Just what he needed, a demanding wife! His uncle had patted his shoulder, but looking like a man who had been harried to death, he had quickly excused himself to get stinking drunk.

Beryl was the daughter of a very rich and very powerful Roman. He'd named all his daughters after rare stones, a quirk Darien found irritating. What he found even more irritating was the fact that he was to marry her the very next day! His first inclination had been to roar with outrage, but he knew that as a son of Venice, he had to do his duty. He'd spent the night sobering up, much to the amusement of his companions. 

The wedding had passed slowly enough and after the obligatory dance, they had been shut in the bridal chamber while the families celebrated the match. When he was finally alone with his bride, he soon wished he had stayed drunk. She had proved to not only be a prude, but, the next morning, she proved herself a shrew. Since their wedding night, he'd endured constant complaints about Venice, Venetians, and life in general. She was easily displeased and cared not one whit that she denied him even the simple pleasure of a few peaceful moments.

At the moment, she was in their bedroom, haranguing a maid over the fold of the bedspread. The bedspread of all things! He glared at the missive and tossed it on the table. Snatching up a glass of water, he dashed the contents on his face and rubbed the water over his skin and into his hair, cooling his flushed skin, but not his sorely frayed temper. "Give me a willing whore over a prudish, noble, properly raised wife." he thought sourly as he stared at the crumpled missive. 

The thought penetrated his mind slowly. It dawned on him that he did not have to stay here this night. No other husband in Venice would. He ignored Beryl when she swept into the room, caught up in the memory of that vivacious Bunny and her friends. Whether or not they had learned much about the role of a courtesan, they had something rare in this day and age. They had compassion and kindness. Suddenly his outlook on the following night was brighter and he seemed in a more jovial mood, a mood which did not escape his icy wife's notice.

When his rather sobered up friends came round to collect him, Beryl watched with disgust and apprehension. She knew instinctively where he was headed. Part of her filled with disgust, knowing he would stagger home drunk as her father had or return late in the day with the scent of some cheap woman upon him. Another part of her filled with dismay that he would be going to such a place after barely five days of marriage. And another part of her filled with possessiveness and a jealous hate for the woman he went to. Her eyes narrowed as she watched her husband and his friends float away into the night. A maid nearby, nursing a bloodied lip, could have sworn the room actually seemed to grow darker, though none of the candles had gone out. The maid turned to leave, but tripped over a chair, sending it and her sprawling. She didn't dare look up as her angry mistress turned her icy rage on her. 

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Meanwhile, at a popular gaming house, Darien and his companions stood in a group, unaware of the dark anger unleashed in the Mancuso's home. They made idle chatter and talked in passing to their fellow Senators and nobles of Venice. They enjoyed the fine wine and foods offered as they awaited the appointed hour. Darien leaned against a wall, eyes cold, as he surveyed the gaming house. He was beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea. He'd seen his wife's temper, suspected that the unexplained bruises on his help's faces came from her, and he had sensed her anger at him as he left. He tamped his concern down. Tomorrow he would make her understand that no one abused his servants in his house, that she was nothing more than a wife. Tonight, ah tonight, he would relax, enjoy himself, and hopefully, pass a pleasurable night with a willing wench. 

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Amy and Lita rode in the first gondola with Leila. The moment they entered the contraption, she pressed a small piece of paper into each girl's hand. On the paper was written the address of a lavish house, along with a room number. "This is where you take your lover, nowhere else, when he is ready for pleasure. I will collect you in the morning." Her words were firm and brooked no disobedience. Lita released her death grip on Amy's hand for a moment as they slid the papers into the hidden pockets stitched inside their skirts. But the second that was done, Lita's hand was crushing Amy's again. When the gondola began to move, her grip tightened further, making Amy wonder if she would ever write again. 

When Amy and Lita's gondola moved out of sight, Raye entered the second one with Matilda. She received the same lecture and paper. The second gondola then followed the first at a distance. Finally, when Raye's conveyance was out of sight, Mina and Bunny entered the final gondola. Once ensconced within, Mother Petrucho gave her twins the same lecture and slips of paper. After a long moment, the third gondola began a slow journey towards the gaming house. In this manner, the five would arrive, but not in a large group. That would attract far too much attention. 

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The five men stood in a group just inside the gaming house. From their vantagepoint, they could see the arrivals before they disembarked and easily move forward to claim their companion or slip back to avoid recognition. For the most part, they made idle chatter. Until Vincenzo put his foot in his mouth.

He had only intended to remark lightly on Beryl's countenance. His smile was mischevious, his eyes amused. "Your wife looked positively furious this eve, Dare. Whatever did you do to her?"

His companions fell silent, staring at the blond man in shock. Darien's frozen gaze bored straight into Vincenzo's widened green eyes. His voice was even colder than his gaze and deadly, deceptively soft. "I came tonight to get away from that . . . that . . . woman. Do not mention her again." Vincenzo's eyes grew even wider and he nodded, shame-faced and shell-shocked. Netheniel came to his rescue, of sorts.

Unable to bear the tension between his friends, he had turned his gaze to the dock and spotted Lita and Amy approaching. He stepped forward, cutting off Darien's angry speech and catching Vincenzo by the upper arm. "C'mon Vin, we're up." He gave the three remaining men a slight bow and a cocky grin. "See ya in the morn." 

Netheniel and Vincenzo made it to the dock just as Amy and Lita alighted. They stopped just shy of the carpeted entry path to drink in the girls' appearance.

Amy and Lita were similarly surprised as they looked about them. The spectacle presented them had them frozen on the carpet. Only a whisper from Leila kept them from gawking like country girls.

Netheniel and Vincenzo stepped forth just then, drawing mental gasps of shock from the girls. Netheniel murmured something to Leila and she nodded. Each man offered his arm. Leila watched as the girls accepted the arms presented them. As they walked away, she kept a close eye on the two pairs, then re-entered her gondola. As her gondola turned away, Raye's began its approach.

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Vincenzo felt a deep stirring when Amy's hand lightly touched his arm. It wasn't base lust, of that he was sure. No, her touch had sent shivers into his soul. He guided her to an area where couples were dancing to soft, airy music. As he led her out onto the dance floor, Amy experienced a slight sensation of familiarity.

Netheniel and Lita walked into the heart of the gambling section. Something inside him kept him hovering very close to her, and his eyes narrowed when he caught other men admiring her. He carried on light conversation with her as they idly played a card game. His mind kept wandering back to a memory of how vulnerable she'd been when she'd fainted, and how perfect she had felt in his arms. 

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When Raye and Matilda disembarked from the gondola, Jerome was by her side in an instant. A murmured exchange with Matilda, and the blond man had the raven beauty to himself. He drew her inside, guiding her to an area where they could converse quietly. The feeling he'd had on their first encounter, that strange attraction, only deepened as they spoke. She displayed none of her fiery temper, choosing instead to wield her clever wit as they sipped fine wine and watched the other patrons.

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Mina and Bunny arrived last of course. Their entrance made quite a splash. Heads turned and voices murmured far more so than when the other girls had arrived. Though dressed and made up quite differently, there was no denying the deep similarities between the girls. Matteo reached Mina's side long before Darien even began his approach. Pressing a gentle kiss to Mina's hand, the normally cold and diffident Matteo graced Mother Petrucho with a disarming smile before he swept Mina into the building, as envious men and jealous women watched in stunned silence.

Bunny did not feel as regal as she tried to appear. Her insides churned nervously as she tried to avoid the gazes of her admirers. She nibbled her lower lip unconciously, until a sharp whisper from Mother Petrucho made her stop. Just then, deep blue eyes caught hers. She almost sighed as he approached her. He was gorgeous, she thought. Then she noticed his slightly mocking smile. Her spine stiffened and when he bent low to catch her hand and press a kiss to it, she steeled herself against it. She wasn't prepared at all for the thrill that raced through her.

Darien was stunned when he saw the young girl. Since his companions had all made their choices, previously he assumed, he was left to escort the young woman whose scent had lingered on his pillow and eyes had haunted his thoughts. When he noticed her nervousness, he knew what would give her the courage to face the staring, murmuring hordes. Setting his mouth in its usual sardonic grin, he'd been gratified to see the fire in her eyes. He hadn't been ready for the shock of just touching her. Looking up at her eyes, he knew she'd felt the same way and was bemused by it. This would prove to be a short night at the gaming house, he already knew.

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AN: Well, Chapter 3 is finally finished. Would really like some feedback on this one. Not sure if it's too rushed in places. Please feel free to email me, but if you flame me, give me a reason please. Thanks for all the great reviews! They really helped! I hope to have Chapter 4 out by Wed, maybe sooner if work allows. 

   [1]: mailto:Bunnychan@sailormoonfan.com



	5. Venetian Moon: The Seduction

Venetian Moon: The Seduction

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best. (With the exceptions of the Generals.) This is Part 4. I recommend you read the Introduction, Part1: The Encounter, Part 2: The Connections and Part 3: The Beginning first. Also, I have been told that the font on my previous fics were too small so I have replaced them with larger fonts and made some revisions to Chapter 3, for those of you who have been following along.

AN: Gomen nasai for the delay. I know I promised this out sooner, but well, it was more difficult to write than I expected. But things that come easy are rarely appreciated, ne? Enjoy!

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_" 

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**__**

Mercury Rising

Vincenzo and Amy whirled about on the dance floor, lost in the beautiful music. It was as if the gaming house and its patrons had disappeared. Instead they were dancing in a huge ballroom of white rather than the garishly decorated . . .

"den of iniquity!" Both dancers were jolted out of their illusion as a voice boomed above them. "What service of God's do you perform here? How is God's will obeyed in this place? What honor do you give unto the Lord? The Lord will surely reward the righteous who obey His will and crush those who defy it!"

Amy's face paled. Vincenzo quickly looked around, noting that the hour had grown late and most of the usual faces were no longer in attendance. Indeed, the place seemed to be filled with the dull black robes of zealots. Their apparent leader stood above them, pontificating on the danger they were exposing their immortal souls to. He drew Amy close to him, drawing her away from the doom and gloom bleaters. She clung tightly to his arm, uncertain what had unnerved him, but sensing great danger emanating from those men. Only once they had made good their escape from the building did she begin to relax.

Aboard the gondola, she extricated the slip of paper from her skirt's hidden pocket and handed it to Vincenzo. He gave directions to the gondolier, then settled next to her on the seat, slipping an arm about her. She curled into him, resting her head back against his shoulder, gazing up at him. He stared down at her, mesmerized by her beauty. Her blue-tinted hair begged for his touch. Her wide blue eyes gazed into his so trustingly it made his heart skip a beat. Her soft lips invited a kiss. His pulse raced as he imagined her in his bed.

Amy gazed up at Vincenzo, her mind racing. She didn't know how it was possible for her to feel so secure, so safe in his arms. Yet a part of her was still nervous about what was coming. Technically, she knew what to expect, but she wasn't completely clear on all the details. Would it hurt? Would she freeze up? Would he find her beau . . . All her thoughts melted away as his lips gently touched her own. His lips moved slowly over hers, gentle, teasing. She melted against him as passion began a slow burn through her. She pressed herself more tightly against him. In response, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, sweeping her away in a torrent of desire. Pleasure washed over her as his mouth wandered down her throat and his hands roamed her body. Her hands tangled in his long golden hair, and then . . . the boat bumped against the stone canal and grated to a stop. 

Hastily, Amy fixed her slightly askew bodice and Vincenzo reluctantly pulled away from her tempting body. He rose a bit stiffly, but still managed to help her from the boat. They made their way to the front door of a large house. At their approach, a sleepy old man swung the portal open. He held out a light to study their faces, then turned to admit them. Once they entered, he closed and locked the door firmly behind them. That done, he gave a soft grunt and headed down the hallway. In the retreating candle's glow, they saw a set of stairs. The man disappeared into a room at the end of a hall, taking all the light with him. Moments later, they heard a whistling snore emanating from the room. Amy and Vincenzo shared a ruefully amused grin. Apparently their long evening had interfered with the old man's desperately needed beauty sleep. When their eyes adjusted to their dim surroundings, they climbed the stairs and found their room.

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Amy stood patiently by the bed as Vincenzo carefully unlaced her gown. He sat on the edge of the bed, long legs to one side of her full gown. One candle burned on a nearby stand. He unlaced her slowly, like a present, drinking in the sight of her. Both were breathing unsteadily, both sensing that something more than lust was taking root here.

Her bodice fell open, revealing a sheer chemise, which did very little to conceal her breasts from his gaze. Of course, such was the point of such garments. Amy watched his face intently, her only nervousness being that he might find her lacking. His hands moved higher, slipping the chemise's straps off her shoulders. Both the sheer garment and the full dress slid down her body to pool at her feet. His eyes followed the fabric's movement as if hypnotized. Then, moving swiftly, he locked his arms about her, pulling her forward a bit as he began to taste her soft skin. Her head fell back as he nibbled along her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut. Her right hand clutched at his shirt for support as his mouth found her breast. Her left hand tangled in his hair, holding him there. His hands began to roam her body freely, eliciting gasps from her as sensations raced over her body. She never noticed just when he moved her to the bed, or when his clothes joined hers on the floor. Only when his bare body slid over hers as he moved her legs apart did she open her eyes.

He hovered above her, his hips directly over hers, his chest in full contact with hers. Serious green eyes watched her slightly glazed blue ones for any sign of nervousness. He whispered her name, watching as her eyes focused on his. "I love you, Amy." he whispered. He gave her no chance to speak, claiming her mouth firmly as he slowly, gently began to slide into her. 

She tensed beneath him as he entered her, biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain. He froze above her, showering her face and neck with kisses, moving his hands over her soothingly, murmuring indistinct sounds against her skin. Slowly she grew accustomed to the feel of him and she moved experimentally underneath him. He groaned at the effect her simple movement had on him, asking, "Better?" It wasn't the most sensitive thing he could think of to say, but at the moment, it was all he could manage, lest he lose control and hurt her. She nodded against his chest, the sensation of her silky hair against his skin adding new dimensions to his desire. He gazed down into her eyes, seeing her trust in him as well as her desire for him. "I love you, Amy." he murmured against her temple as he began to move again.

Amy's heart swelled at his kindness and his words. She instinctively knew that he meant what he said and though his body was doing things to her that denied her the ability to breathe steadily, let alone think clearly or voice her own feelings, she expressed her emotions to him in an unspoken declaration of love as they spiraled together towards a paradise only they could ever know.

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It was much later, as dawn began to streak the sky and they lay entwined in each other's embrace that they dared gaze into the future. Vincenzo broke the silence first, his voice firm though he spoke softly in her ear. "I can't bear the thought of anyone else touching you, kissing you, holding you in their arms." He tightened his hold on her unconsciously. "I won't share you, Amy." his voice dropped to a demanding whisper.

Amy shivered against him, stunned by the possessiveness in his tone and touch. Her eyes closed as if in pain for a moment. When she opened them, a single tear escaped down her cheek, but her voice was steady, controlled. "We don't have much choice, Vin." She clung to her logic like a lifeline, refusing to entertain hopes that could only be dashed to pieces. "You must marry for wealth and duty. I must do this to earn money just to survive. There is no way for us to stay together."

Vincenzo tried to close his ears to her logic, but the word marry caught his attention. Inspiration struck and a smile curved his lips, even as she continued. When she fell silent, he kissed her ear, gaining her full attention. "Nay, love," he whispered silkily, enjoying the feel of her soft hair and softer skin against his lips, "there is another choice." He fell silent, waiting for her reaction.

Curiosity won out. Amy rolled over within the gentle cage of his arms, and pushed herself up on her hands to gaze into his eyes. "How?" she demanded.

How what? Vincenzo thought, totally distracted by the delicious feel of her body slipping over his. Her serious blue eyes bored into his suddenly stunned green ones and he struggled to rein in his wandering thoughts. He frowned slightly as he hunted up his scattered thoughts. Amy watched him closely, her curiosity making her impatient, his roving hands making her distracted. "Well . . ." he dragged the word out, stilling his hands at her waist, staring into her eyes. She wriggled impatiently, a little concerned by the touch of uncertainty in his eyes. His eyes darkened at her unintentionally arousing movements and all his pretty words fled. "You could be my mistress. You would be well taken care of and no one would take you away from me."

Amy went completely still over him and stared into his eyes in shock. Why hadn't she thought of that? She barely noted the unromantic intonation of his words. She could see desire in his eyes, mingled with love. It was the love that gave her serious pause. Why did he love her? More importantly, why did she feel an answering love for him? She'd always discounted the idea of love at first sight, but that was the only logical explanation. Her eyes reflected her love as she nodded her head. Though the law would never recognize them as legally wed, their hearts were bonded. Amy couldn't give her body to another when she loved Vincenzo! 

At her nod, Vincenzo's heart tightened. A smile lit his face and he felt a strange urge to proclaim to the world that she was his. Instead, he rolled her over and they made love as the sun rose, secure in their love for each other.

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**__**

Mars Fire

Raye and Jerome were the first to leave the gaming house, mainly because Jerome seemed intent on infuriating her and neither wanted to risk creating a potentially humiliating spectacle in public. 

Jerome wasn't exactly sure what he had done to make her so mad, but he could read the fury snapping in her eyes. Not wanting to risk her losing her fiery temper in the gaming house, he'd grabbed her wrist and began pulling her towards the exit. Knowing that they were being carefully watched, he gave her his best lascivious grin and said, perhaps a bit over loudly, "Come along, we can talk more in private." Then he'd caught her arm and pulled her out into the night air and on into the gondola.

Raye couldn't believe Jerome's behavior. His words had her face flaming. Then he dragged her from the house like some kind of . . . grrr! Her eyes darkened even more. She'd thought he was a nice guy, but obviously she'd misjudged him. A touch of fear fueled her temper because regardless of whether or not he was ready for sex, she was most definitely not! To top it all off, she knew that it was her nervousness that had caused this. She had been so determined to hide her nervousness that she had snapped at him. She didn't even remember what she'd said, but it had caught him by surprise. She supposed she could have apologized, but she just couldn't. He'd stared at her for a moment, then made it perfectly obvious to the entire gaming house that he was taking her to bed. Her cheeks had flamed and only pride had kept her from digging her feet into the carpet and demanding to be released. Only her knowledge that she was being carefully watched by many powerful and wealthy men kept her from loosing her sharp tongue. Even once they were in the gondola she held her tongue, holding herself stiffly throughout the far too short ride.

Jerome didn't try to touch her on the ride, but he couldn't keep his eyes of her. Gods, but she was beautiful angry! Her eyes sparkled with anger, her cheeks were flushed and her stiff pose only accentuated her gorgeous body. When the boat ground to a halt, Jerome leapt out, then turned to assist her. The moment his hand brushed hers, a jolt when through them both. Wide violet eyes stared bemusedly into his shocked blue ones. Then she shook it off and he followed suit, embarking on a very polite and courteous trip to their bedroom.

The second the door closed however, Raye whirled on him. Anger radiated off her body like heat from a blazing fire. Her voice, lowered so they wouldn't be heard throughout the house, hissed at him. "You, sir, are a cretin! Of all the boorish, idiotic, insufferable . . ."

Jerome cut her off, with both his words and his sudden invasion of her space. "Now just a moment!" he demanded as he stalked up to her. "What did I do?" His face was mere centimeters from hers.

She stood her ground, unnerved by his closeness and distracted by his scent and his eyes. She had noted the way they had devoured her all night long and now she was confronted with both his anger and his desire. Her thoughts scattered, what had he done indeed? She swallowed, then as the memory of her embarrassment returned, she shot back. "How dare you drag me out of there with everyone staring at us, knowing . . ." she trailed off suddenly. Her face flushed with the realization that of course everyone knew, they were all there for the same purpose.

"About what?" Jerome demanded, watching her blush and knowing full well what she meant. He just loved watching her squirm. "About this?" he gritted out before bringing his her tightly against him, crushing her to him in a bone-melting kiss.

Raye wanted to resist. She valiantly tried, but how was she supposed to resist the fire racing over her that had nothing to do with anger? She gasped against him, whether in protest or shock neither knew or really cared. His tongue swept into her mouth and she was lost. Their tongues danced as they quickly pulled at each other's clothes, leaving a trail of discarded garments from the door to the bed. Desire raced through them, but a stronger connection bound them as he claimed her maidenhead. They clung to each other as passion built and exploded, crying out each other's name in ecstasy.

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Jerome held her while she slept, unable to let go of her. Her knew her matron would be most displeased to have to shoo him out of here, but he didn't want to leave. In fact, he realized as he gazed at her sleeping face, he didn't want to leave ever! Okay, so she had a temper, but man, she was absolutely stunning when she was mad! Her temper would definitely make things interesting. No other woman fired his blood the way this girl did. Even now, hours later, his body desired her. But more unnerving was the sudden wave of tenderness he felt as he watched her sleep. He'd never stayed to watch his other women sleep. He'd never felt protective or possessive. His face paled as he faced the truth. He loved her. Then the thought of other men touching her made a fierce jealousy grow within him. Unconsciously he drew her tighter in his embrace.

Raye stirred, sensing his distress as she was pressed almost into his body. "What's wrong?" she asked sleepily, struggling to inflate her lungs against his crushing hold. He relaxed a little and she smiled softly, reaching up to stroke one of his short blond curls. She forgot for the moment that there was a world outside his arms, outside this bed, this room. She forgot who and what they both were. For the moment, they were nothing more than lovers and nothing less.

He jerked away, releasing her so suddenly that she tumbled back on the bed. She felt oddly bereft as she realized he was now standing all the way across the room from her, near the window. "What's wrong?" he mocked her. "Tonight you will be here in this same bed, but with some other man!" he shouted.

She stared at him, fully awake now. "That is what courtesans do." she snapped, angered by his sudden shattering of her illusions. Before he'd spoken, she'd felt safe, content; indeed, she had felt as if everything was right. Her heart ached and she realized she loved him. She didn't know how or why, but something had bound her heart to his. The anger and contempt in his voice sliced into her like a thousand swords. As always, she drew upon her anger to hide her pain. "If I wasn't a courtesan, we wouldn't be here now." 

Jerome was not in the mood. He shouted right back at her. "I won't stand for it! I won't let anyone else have you!"

Her purple eyes grew wide, shocked at his possessiveness. Instead of feeling flattered, she was annoyed. She wasn't his property after all! "And just how do you propose to do that?" she demanded.

He fell silent, turning his back to her and gazing out the window. She suddenly felt cold. What if she'd hurt him? She didn't want to hurt him; she loved him, she . . . His voice broke into her racing thoughts. His voice was calm, much softer, though he didn't face her. "Become my mistress." he invited.

"Wha-at?" Raye managed to squeak.

He turned to face her. "I can't share you, Raye." His voice broke, revealing the depths of emotion to her, even though he just couldn't say it out loud. A smile danced in her eyes, but she kept her face serious. She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing a bit, as if weighing the pros and cons. Every nerve in his body was immobilized as he awaited her reaction. Time seemed to drag on endlessly.

Every cell in her body seemed to be screaming at her. Each cry was one of encouragement, excitement, love and need. She couldn't say no. She dragged the moment out for as long as she could, waiting to see if her sixth sense gave her any indication that this was a bad idea. No uneasy feeling came. Slowly she nodded. "Yes."

The simple word hung in the air between them for only an instant before Jerome's face broke into a dazzling smile. An answering one grew across Raye's face as Jerome seemed to fly to her side. His kiss quickly kindled a fire in their blood and they made love again, this time their unspoken but obvious love adding extra spice to their passion.

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**__**

Jupiter Dream

Lita wasn't a very good card player, Netheniel thought. That or he was strangely adept at reading her facial expressions. They had just finished playing a hand when Netheniel noticed the dark robes of a pack of zealots sniffing around like starving wolves. Catching Lita's hand, he murmured, "Time to go, my sweet." Her green eyes flew open wide and he detected a hint of nervousness in them. Giving her his most reassuring smile, her tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. She didn't resist him, but he was dismayed when the fear didn't disappear. He resolved to ease her trepidation as soon as they had escaped the prowling zealots.

He pulled her alongside him and they made their way quickly to the exit. Suddenly, a plain man in a severe black habit scented her distress and likened her to easy prey. Slipping up beside them, he caught Lita's arm and began to speak. Netheniel didn't think, he just reacted. Rage built in him that someone had dared try to draw her away from him. Turning a fierce gaze on the man, he caught the wrist of the arm holding Lita's arm and squeezed. The zealot released her quickly in pain and Netheniel pushed him hard, flinging him away from them and careening into a table covered in food and wine. Lita could only stare as the man slumped to the floor, his habit stained with food and wine. Then Netheniel tugged her gently away, both of them missing the hatred in the zealot's glare as he watched their retreating backs.

Once free of the gaming house, Lita gasped for air, trying to gather the courage for the next step. Netheniel hailed the first gondola and dragged Lita to it. He didn't comprehend right away why she had suddenly become a statue, until she shrank away from him as he prepared to hand her into the gondola. Only his grip on her arm kept her from turning and fleeing. Lifting her gently into his arms, he carried her towards the waiting conveyance. Lita's face paled and she tried to struggle free without being too obvious, but the second he stepped forward into the gondola, she went rigid, arms tight around his neck. Lita clung desperately to him; her body plastered to his, which was proving rather distracting. However, the moment they were securely in the confines of the little boat, he gently set her down on the bench. Kneeling in front of her, he tried to get her attention. "Lita, where to?"

Lita's eyes were wide and vacant, so he tried again, this time snapping his fingers in front of her face. She blinked slowly, staring at him in confusion, and fear. "Where to, Lita?" he prompted. As if moving in a fog, Lita retrieved the scrap of paper from her hidden skirt pocket, revealing a very tempting display of flesh in the process. Netheniel mentally groaned, fighting an urge to kiss her senseless right then and there. He took the paper and turned to give directions to the gondolier. As his comforting presence left her, Lita moaned in distress. 

Thrusting the paper at the bemused gondolier, Netheniel spun back to her. Sitting beside her, he drew her into his arms, cradling her to him. She curled into him like a frightened child, clinging tightly to the front of his vestments. He held her close, murmuring nonsense syllables to her for the duration of the ride.

The ride seemed to last an eternity to Lita. Her world diminished to a rocking, flimsy wooden craft and Netheniel's warm, strong arms. She curled tightly against him, a part of her embarrassed to be reduced to this and another part of her glad he was caring for her. Another man might have left in disgust or treated her roughly, but Netheniel was protecting her, making her feel safe. A small part of her, struggling to be heard over the part that was frightened, was reveling in his touch, his warmth and his scent. Her heartbeat was accelerated, but not completely due to the terrifying boat ride. The man who held her definitely made her heart race. 

Focusing intently on the soothing sounds he was making, Lita managed to quell her trembling and loosen her death grip on his expensive clothing. He did not release her however. Finally, the trip ended and she felt him drawing her up out of the boat and onto firm ground. She sagged a little against him, and he slid a finger under her chin, bringing her lips to his in a kiss that made her world tilt crazily.

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Lita sat on the edge of a large bed, sipping a goblet of wine. The liquid seemed to be calming her nerves. Netheniel stood at the narrow table, pouring himself a goblet as well, lecturing himself. Sternly he reminded himself that she was nervous and had just dealt with her greatest fear. He had to move slowly, make everything just right for her. He frowned just then. Why was he doing this? Never before had he given a woman's feelings or thoughts much concern. But this woman, with those tragic eyes and gentle smile, she touched his heart. He turned then, joining her on the bed, relieved to note that the vibrant sparkle was returning to her eyes and that her color was approaching normal. Her personality had begun to shine through her features again, increasing her beauty.

He blinked when her lips parted, surprised. "I'm sorry." She spoke softly, looking intently into the liquid swirling aimlessly in her goblet.

He smiled gently, his hand catching her empty one and drawing it to him. He ran his thumb over her skin softly, making her shiver slightly. "It's alright." he soothed. Her eyes flew to his, surprised. He could tell she had expected him to be angry with her or at the least, to mock her. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

"N-no." Lita shook her head. Instead, she set her goblet aside. Netheniel made no move to prevent her from removing his as well. Moving closer to her, he ran his hand along the curve of her jaw, drawing her in for a kiss. She melted against him, opening her mouth to his explorations. Feeling her matching his passion, he moved his hands to her laces. Her breathing grew unsteady as he trailed kisses along her jaw and throat and his hands found the sides of her breasts.

Deftly he undid her laces, revealing her to his gaze in mere moments. Slipping her garments to the floor, he leaned her back against the pillows as he explored her body with his hands and mouth. Only when he had her moving beneath him, wanting more, did he slip out of his own garments. Quickly, smoothly, he entered her, rending her barrier. She arched against him in pain and he forced himself to remain still until she grew accustomed to him. Then together, they explored the concept of pleasure.

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Many hours later, curled in his arms, Lita told him what she remembered of her parents' deaths. "I barely remember them." she confessed, a guilt eating at her. He ran his hands soothingly over her back, letting her speak, feeling both honored and humbled that she was trusting him with this. "I don't even know what caused the accident. I was asleep in my mother's arms. A sudden jerk tossed me away from her. All I remember is my mother, sinking, her heavy gown pulling her under. My father tried to save her, but he sank with her. The gondolier pulled me from the wreckage and took me to Mother Petrucho's home. For many years I had nightmares." This last bit she confessed in a small voice, as if ashamed to admit that she had ever had unpleasant dreams.

Netheniel ached for the little girl. His jaded heart and soul seemed to be actually responding to her. He was stunned by the waves of protectiveness washing over him. But all he said was "How did you cope

Lita smiled softly against his arm, lost in the memories. "Each of the girls took turns sleeping beside me. Amy would read to me from her science or history books until I fell back asleep. Raye would chant nonsense syllables and stroke my forehead. Mina would tell romantic stories of princes. Bunny," Lita's smile grew. "Bunny would tell me about her dreams. She had these vivid dreams of a moon kingdom. In her dreams, all five of us were princesses. Each one of them used something special to remind me that they cared about me."

Netheniel toyed with a lock of her hair, trying to ignore a wave of jealousy. "You seem to have good friends." he murmured.

Lita nodded. "We love each other very much. We're all we have. In a way, we are all sisters. We watch out for each other, especially Bunny. It's weird. Bunny is the youngest of us, both in age and the way she sometimes acts, but whenever one of us is hurt or in trouble, there she is, giving her all to make it better."

Netheniel thought about all that Lita had said. Judging by her reaction tonight, she was going to have serious trouble as a courtesan. He focused on that to ignore the pain growing inside him at the lack of love and affection in his life. Oh, he had Dare and the guys, but they had all been raised to be diffident, distant. The love Lita had for her friends mocked their friendship. He forced his thoughts down the no less pleasant road of Lita's future as a courtesan. Most of her clients would neither understand nor tolerate her phobia. "How do you plan to deal with the gondolas, Lita?"

"I- I don't know." came the reluctant answer.

He wanted to protect her. Hell, he just plain wanted her! "I could solve that problem." She turned her head to gaze up at him. "You do something to me, Lita." he admitted, surprising them both. "You make me want to protect you, to keep you near. Would you do me the honor of being my mistress?"

The proposal caught Lita off-guard, causing her to sit bolt upright in shock and sending the sheets flying. Okay, so it wasn't a proposal of marriage, but for a poor girl with no dowry, what more could she want? To be the mistress of the man who had captured his heart with is gentleness was a dream come true. Her face flushed.

Netheniel drank in her beauty while she stared at him, thinking. Somehow she felt connected to him, as if she couldn't bear to be parted from him. "Yes, I will." she murmured softly. His eyes flew to hers, almost doubting his ears. He could see her emotions and thoughts in her eyes, on her face. She was his! A strange sensation of completeness ran through him as he pulled her to him and they made love, slowly and passionately.

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**__**

Venus Passion

Matteo knew the instant he looked at Mina that he was sunk. The stares and appreciative murmurs accentuating her arrival had tinged his world red with a jealous rage. But his anger wasn't directed at Mina and when she smiled sweetly at, his anger fled as quickly as it had flared. In its wake, something else flared, something more than mere lust. Something much deeper, all pervasive. He blinked suddenly, realizing that he was looking down at her, mere centimeters from her. He didn't know how he'd gotten there, but he knew instinctively that leaving her side for even a moment would be very difficult. He stared down into her wide eyes, relishing the look of pleased surprise he found there.

Mother Petrucho smiled softly as she watched the couple. A sharp tug on her heartstring snapped her out of her reverie though. She shook her head hard to clear a sudden image of Mina and Matteo standing in formal attire, staring into each other's eyes with a look of devotion and determination. The pang reminded her that no matter what, marriage to Matteo was not Mina's path. As she forced the illusion to clear her mind's eye, she noticed that Serena was standing alone, looking about her with barely concealed nervousness. Her sharp eyes noticed the predatory looks on the men's faces and the hostile looks on the women's. At least Mina had Matteo; where was Serena's companion? Just then, she noticed Matteo rising from a bow to Mina and beginning to lead her away. She caught his sleeve.

Matteo stopped, stunned that someone had dared lay a hand on him. Turning, he found that Mina's guardian was staring up at him. He raised an eyebrow in a mute question, mild bemusement etched in his face. His bemusement didn't fade when she spoke.

"What of Serena?" 

Serena? he wondered. Oh yes! The one they call Bunny. "Well, Dare . . . oh!" Matteo glanced about, just noticing that Darien had not followed him. In fact, Darien was standing stock-still where Matteo had left him, staring at Bunny. Sending a quick glance to the young girl, he ascertained that she had not seen Darien yet. He smiled, returning his attention to Signora Petrucho. "Her escort is over there." he murmured, flicking his silver gaze in his friend's direction. Mother Petrucho's eyes widened as she followed his gaze. Darien, seeming to feel their attention, finally began to move towards them, so Matteo took the opportunity to sweep Mina inside.

Perhaps ten minutes at the most had passed before they noticed an angry-looking Raye and a rather confused and irritated Jerome beating a hasty path out of the gaming house. Matteo merely raised an eyebrow, but Mina placed her hand over her mouth and watched the pair worriedly.

Matteo drew her a bit closer, enjoying the feel of her warmth against his side. "Mina, are you alright?"

"I feel sorry for your friend." she murmured softly. Matteo laughed and she spun to face him. "Seriously!" she exclaimed. "Raye has quite a temper!"

Matteo could see she was hurt by his laughter and sought to soothe her. "So does Jerome, my pet. But I am sure they will be fine." Mina blushed prettily at his endearment, allowing him to pull her close again. Her friend faded completely from her mind as she felt his gaze never waver from her face. She wondered if she had something on her face, and shifted within in his arms uncertainly.

Matteo ignored her discomfiture, enjoying the way her blush deepened, painting her features. He began to devise ways to cause the color to stain her features again. Finally, he had mercy on her and they began to explore the gaming house. Mina found the place thoroughly fascinating, and her expressions ran the gamut from amused to shocked as Matteo showed her all of the offered distractions. Matteo watched her closely, now that her attention was held by the recreations around them. He found himself experiencing the gaming house through her eyes, which he found surprisingly refreshing. He knew he was beginning to appear a bit besotted with her, but he ignored it. From the looks she kept sneaking at him, and the high color in her cheeks, it was apparent he wasn't the only one. 

Mina found the gaming house and its inhabitants very interesting, but it paled in comparison to her interest in the man beside her. She couldn't stop looking at him. She found herself admiring his grace and strength. The way he moved entranced her. His mane of unusual white hair begged to be touched and his silver gaze made her stomach do flips. She turned away, ostensibly watching a juggler, nibbling her lower lip as she wondered at the emotions careening through her.

Matteo watched her nibble her lip with interest until he heard a slight murmur. Looking up, he frowned at the sight near the entrance. Mina felt his body tense and she turned to look up at him. His hand resting on her arm suddenly became very possessive, causing her to gasp in surprise. His grip wasn't cruel, but she was firmly in his control. She swallowed hard as she took in his visage. A frown, much darker than the ones she had seen before, turned his mouth down harshly. His silver eyes were slits as he stared hostilely at someone. Following his gaze curiously, she had to rise up on her tiptoes precariously. After all that effort, all she saw was a group of men dressed in robes that looked like they were made of sacks. She didn't know who they were, but her curiosity suddenly dissipated when Matteo bent near her ear. His lips actually brushed her ear, causing her to shiver as he whispered silkily, "Shall we leave this place, my pet?"

Mina's mind suddenly stopped, shifted gears and began to race again. No longer did the strangers have her attention; her whole being was focused on the gorgeous man dancing attention on her. She could only nod; barely noting that all trace of his hostility had fled. Tucking her hand gently into the crook of his arm, they swept from the building like a lord and his lady. Mina was so stunned by his quicksilver mood change that she didn't take note of the imperious looks Matteo used to scatter everyone out of his way, even the determined zealots.

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Candles burned low in the bedroom appointed for them. Like the other four bedrooms, the chamber boasted a few candles, a long but narrow table situated against the wall next to the door, a small circular table near the window, two chairs and the hugest, softest bed Mina had ever seen. Considering that all she ever slept on was a pallet on the floor of a large room shared with four other girls, that really wasn't saying much. Still, it was a very large bed and it dominated the room.

The wine sat on the table untouched. A jacket was draped carelessly over the back of one of the chairs. Jewelry glinted dully in the fading candlelight beside the wine carafe. An expensive gown and more expensive men's clothing lay on the floor beside the bed. Tall, soft leather boots stood next to golden platform shoes. 

Mina sat in the other chair, clad only in her shift. A bare-chested Matteo stood behind her, his long fingers deftly undoing the woven knot that held back half of her long blond hair. Soon, the length of hair slid between his fingers to join the rest as it cascaded in a blond waterfall, down the chair and pooling a bit at his feet. He gave in to the urge to play with her hair, weaving his long fingers through it. Sensually, he massaged her scalp, occasionally scraping it lightly with his fingernails, all the while sending delicious sensations zinging through her body. He head fell back against his chest, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. He bent over her, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. She reached up, tangling her fingers in his hair as he deepened the kiss. His hands left her hair, skimming over her shoulders and into her shift. Mina arched back, tipping the chair slightly as his hands roamed over her bare skin. She moaned softly, the sound firing Matteo's blood even more. He pulled her from the chair, turning her so that her body was pressed tightly against him, never breaking the kiss. Mina gasped again, thrilled at the intimate pressure of his body against hers and she dug her hands deeper into his hair, tugging slightly.

Matteo dragged his head back, both of them gasping for breath. His hands roamed her body still and he could read the passion darkening her eyes. He could read something else there, but he refused to interpret it, he needed her now! Dipping his head down for another mind-reeling kiss, he sound found himself of the brink of desire-induced madness. Lifting her up, he ignored her shocked gasp and laid her back on the bed, stretching himself over her. His lips traveled down her neck and down to her ample bosom before fabric stopped him. Growling his frustration, he brought both hands up to the plunging neckline of the sheer shift . . . and ripped.

Mina's mind cleared a bit as the fabric gave way with a soft protest. Any protest she might have added to the fabric's complaint was prevented as she watched him looking at her. He gazed at her with such a mix of reverence and desire that she found herself breathless. Quickly Matteo shed his breeches, letting them fall atop her ruined shift without so much as a cursory glance. In the next instant he was above her again, their bared bodies finally melding.

Their passion flared even higher as Matteo began to teach Mina the full meaning of pleasure. She demonstrated her aptitude as a student by teaching him a few things too, though some of the pleasure he felt resulted not from the mere physical connection of their bodies, but the connection of their hearts. Even though their love was as yet undeclared, it still added dimensions to their lovemaking that neither the jaded aristocrat nor the romantic courtesan had ever thought possible.

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Dawn rose as the lovers lay sated and content, tangled together in the rosy light. Matteo toyed with a lock of her hair. "You are mine now, my pet. I'll not be able to let you go." he declared.

Mina merely smiled, tracing his face with one hand, her eyes locked on his. "Nor I you, love." Understanding flashed between them, as if words were no longer needed.

"Good." Matteo growled playfully. "I'm pleased you understand." He flipped her quickly on her back, taking the advantage to tickle her. Her laughter was like music, but it faded quickly as her squirming beneath him had a definate effect on them both. Mina looked up into his eyes as they both stilled to find amusment, passion and love in his eyes. She suspected hers reflected the same. Her lips twitched as she teasingly raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Again?" His only response was a soft growl and a swift movement that placed them both exactly where they wanted to be.

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**__**

Moon Magic

Bunny was confused. That's all there was to it. When she'd first spotted Darien, her heart had lodged in her throat. There was no denying that he was sinfully handsome. But the look in his eyes that had haunted her from their previous encounter was still there. The aloofness, the icy mockery swirling in his eyes frightened yet entranced her. There was a darkness to him, a hidden sorrow that swirled about him. And fate had abandoned her to him.

Here she stood, she thought almost angrily, the most perfect illusion of herself that she could imagine and he mocked her! She nibbled at her lower lip again as he stared into her eyes. What is he thinking? She wondered, even as she pondered the way the mere brush of his lips against the hand he had raised to his mouth sent zings through her. He stood there for a moment, and for a heartbeat, blue met blue in a collision of emotions. Then, he broke the spell by taking her arm and entering the gaming house.

Darien had delayed his encounter with her unintentionally. He had had every intention of following right behind Matteo, but then he had caught sight of Serena. She stood there; looking like an angel descended to earth. Her appearance was pure seduction, but her eyes were wide and betrayed her nervousness. Her teeth were delicately worrying her lower lip. Society's wolves were circling about her.

It was her plight that motivated him. Shaking off his reaction, he headed her way. Remembering her spunk on the day they had met, he arranged his features into the semblance of mockery. It was calculated to pique her defiant nature, thereby giving her the chance to save herself. The moment she saw him, he knew it had worked. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. Her posture became almost rigid, her chin high. She radiated confidence. Her eyes sparkled and she sheathed her teeth. No longer did she resemble a frightened lamb, now she was a princess.

He felt her reaction to his lips upon her hand as he lifted it to his mouth. He swallowed a smile of satisfaction. Yes, he would need to go slow with her, but he knew that she would enjoy his touch, unlike his wife. Suddenly he found himself wondering when he had begun to care about such things. True, he had always seen his women pleasured, but it had never been his main goal. But he wanted Serena to enjoy his touch. Bothered by this train of thought, he quickly pulled her arm through his. He then drew her inside, finding them a place to sit. 

They sat on a velvet-covered bench near a table laden with food and drink. Darien leaned forward to ask his companion if she was hungry, but instead found his face in her hair. Pulling back, startled, he realized that she had turned her head to gaze at someone or something. For just a moment, he took advantage of her distraction to admire her, especially since her body was still turned in his direction, though her head was turned to gaze over her shoulder. But, when she didn't turn back to him, he grew curious about what held her attention. 

Darien leaned forward again, this time letting his body glide over hers, to gaze in the same direction. The sight that met his eyes amused him, keeping him from noticing that Serena had gone still against him. Making their way to the door, to the amusement of many, were an annoyed Jerome and an angry Raye. He laughed softly then froze as he heard a soft gasp. He realized that he was rather intimately pressed against her upper body. Drawing back slightly, he could see her face was now turned to his, her gaze riveted to his. In her azure eyes, he read shock, pleasure and nervousness. Her lips were slightly parted, tempting him unbearably. Only the stern reminder of her innocence held him back. He retreated further, calmly inquiring if she was thirsty. He barely waited to see if she nodded before he was up.

Bunny sat extremely still, analyzing her reaction. The annoying, mocking Darien Mancuso was doing strange things to her senses. Not to mention her poor heart! For a moment she had been certain he was going to kiss her and it was as if she had stopped breathing. No, she was sure she had stopped breathing! Now her heart was pounding as if she had been running for hours. She breathed in slowly, exhaling softly, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Then she caught sight of him and her heart began to do flips! "Oh Bunny, you can't be falling for him!" she moaned under her breath. Then aware that someone might see her talking to herself, she continued her scolding in her head. You don't know anything about him, except that he's rude, mocking and . . . and gorgeous. She sighed. She'd always listened to her heart rather than her head, and this time would be no different. But, she vowed, she would never tell him! No, she could fall in love with him, but she would never let the arrogant jerk know!

Darien returned just then, handing her the finest goblet she had ever seen as if it were merely a wooden cup. She smiled her thanks and took a sip, eyes widening at the delicate wine. Darien watched her, torn between amusement and anger. He thought she was like a kitten, so impressed by something so simple as wine. But he knew for certain that she was the daughter of that Spaniard. It infuriated him that she had lived a life of deprivation because of his ego! He would welcome a daughter or a son; it didn't matter to him. He didn't know why, but somewhere inside him he had begun to long to be a father. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, wondering why she affected him so.

"Serena . . ." he began, not exactly sure what he was going to say.

"Bunny." she murmured.

"Hmmm?"

"Call me Bunny."

"I thought only your friends were allowed to call you Bunny." he teased softly.

She smiled up at him. "Well, you did take care of my friends and me, so I guess that makes you a friend, doesn't it?" she asked him, seriously.

He tilted his head a bit, considering her words. Then a grin lit his face. "Okay, Bunny, what do you say we leave this place?"

Her eyes widened and her hand shook a bit, almost sloshing wine from the goblet. He raised an eyebrow at her nervousness, but otherwise ignored it. After all, it was to be expected. "A-alright." she inclined her head slightly. If she was afraid, at least she wasn't trying to avoid being with him. That heartened him greatly. He scooped the goblet from her less-than-firm grip and left it on the floor. "S-shouldn't I take care of that?" she murmured, glancing at the cup.

"No, Buns." his nickname for her slipped from his lips unbidden, catching her full attention. "There are servants to deal with those matters." He dismissed them easily, not even the slightest bit disturbed by the callousness of his comment. Bunny pondered it, though. She let him lead her from the gaming house.

As they left, Bunny and Darien noticed a man in brown robes slumped against a wall, food and wine staining his habit. Darien merely raised his eyebrow in disdain, while Bunny openly stared, compassion and confusion in her eyes. But when the man's eyes met hers, she shivered at the hate in them, moving closer to Darien. Darien, ascertaining the cause of her distress, placed an arm about her and gave the man his iciest glare.

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The ride in the gondola was uneventful. Darien kept an arm about Bunny, but they didn't speak until they were closeted away in their bedroom. Bunny was nervous and Darien knew it, but she was trying her best to hide it, lest she anger him. Her brow furrowed as she thought about what Mother Petrucho and Signora Leila had told her to do. Darien leaned against the door, seemingly deep in thought, so she crossed to the bed and slid her tired feet from those hellish shoes. Then, entranced by the bed, she experimentally jumped on it. It gave underneath her, dumping her headlong across its length. Darien stared at the sight for a moment before laughing. He actually threw his head back and laughed.

Bunny grinned as she sank into the featherbed, then blushed, remembering that she had a witness to her shenanigans. Looking up she found an unreadable blue gaze locked on her. Her blush deepened as he began to laugh, her mouth dropping open. She watched him as his head fell back, revealing his throat. His laughter curled around her and she was pleased. Something told her he hadn't laughed like that in a very long time. Her laughter joined his for a moment. 

Darien paused when he heard laughter join his. Where his laughter was deep, hers was musical, like light. Her face was flushed and she sat in the absolute middle of the giant bed, watching him. Curled up in the exact center of the bed, hair pooled around her, eyes bright with amusement and mischief, she seemed more like a kitten then a Bunny. He glanced around the room, noting her shoes. "Buns, come here." he asked softly.

She rose, walking a little unbalancedly on the bed, reminding him of a slightly drunken sailor. Then she jumped down, wincing a little at the cold floor and padded over to him, blue eyes curious. "Where are your shoes?" he teased.

She wrinkled her nose distastefully. "They hurt! Plus I'm terrified I'm going to fall and break my neck in them."

He gazed down at her. "So tiny," he murmured so softly she wasn't sure she understood him. Then he caught her in his arms, dragging her to him. Surprised, she only stared up at him, seeing his eyes darken. Then the world exploded as his lips touched hers. 

Bunny wasn't the only one stunned by the kiss. It seemed to reach into both their souls. He released her suddenly, alarmed at the feelings rushing through him. She stumbled back, almost falling, but he caught her at the last moment. They froze there for a long moment, Bunny practically lying in his arms, suspended over the floor. She stared up, he down, their gazes searching each other out. Each seemed to find the secrets in the other's soul. Time slowed as Darien lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. Leaning over her, he laid her down very gently. His lips descended again, but this time she was reaching for him as well. Her arms entwined about his neck, pulling him to her. He moved forward, crushing the rose dress beneath him as he brought his full weight upon her. She welcomed his weight, his heat, his touch.

He trailed kisses down her throat, marveling at her smooth, pale skin. He quickly undid her bodice, skimming the gown and chemise off her slowly, kissing each inch of her skin as he revealed it to his sight. She moaned beneath him, firing his blood, but he kept his pace slow. Once he had slid the gown all the way to the floor, he slid beside her, turning her to lie side by side. He stared into her eyes, his hands weaving through her hair. "Take it down." he whispered silkily in her ear, pressing a kiss to her earlobe. She raised her hands to the twin buns, slipping out the jeweled fasteners. He took them from her, then carefully unclasped the pearl choker and took them to the table across the room. He gathered up the expensive dress and laid it over a chair. 

He glanced back at his beautiful angel, the woman he knew he had lost his heart to. She lay on her side, watching him, hair flowing over her like a cascade of golden silk. She looked so wanton at the moment. His hands moved to remove his jacket and shirt, mindful of how her eyes watched him hungrily. He then bent to tug off his leather boots. But when his hands moved to remove his pants, her faced flamed and she rolled onto her back, eyes closed. He chuckled softly at the reminder of her innocence.

After a moment, Bunny heard the sound of cloth hitting the floor, a soft whooshing sound. She could tell, even through her tightly closed eyes, that some of the candles had been put out. She began to relax, and then the bed dipped. Nervousness returned full force as she felt him move closer to her. He moved over her, his hands caressing her face, toying with her hair. Still she kept her eyes closed.

"So beautiful, Buns." he murmured, sensing her nervousness. He kissed her gently, feeling her response. The passion of their kiss burned through her nervousness. "My little bunny." he whispered gently as he moved to claim her. As she yielded to him, she fluttered her eyes open, finding him staring intently at her. "Mine." he murmured.

She shook her head. "I'm not a possession." she protested.

He held himself just shy of ending her innocence and stared down at her. "No, you aren't. You own me. I'm yours." At her look of confusion, he touched his forehead to hers. "I love you."

He'd expected shock, laughter or cruel words, but he didn't get them. Instead, Bunny wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled contentedly. Unable to wait any longer, and sensing she didn't want to wait either, he slipped into her. He barely heard her whisper, "I love you too, Darien." before she let out a soft cry. He looked up to see tears in her eyes at the pain of losing her innocence, but was drawn in by the love behind the tears. He captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss as he swept her away in a flood of passion.

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AN (Yup, me again! hehe) ummmm, well, this chapter is a lot longer than expected, but I hope ya like. Thanks to all those who reviewed and emailed!!! Chapter 5 is due out, oh, soon. Probably within a week. Please, lemme know what ya thought. I do think this chapter was worth the wait. (grins)

   [1]: mailto:Bunnychan@sailormoonfan.com



	6. Venetian Moon: The Illusions

Venetian Moon: The Illusion

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best. (With the exceptions of the Generals.) This is Part 5. I recommend you read the Introduction, Part 1: The Encounter, Part 2: The Connections, Part 3: The Beginning and Part 4: The Seduction first. 

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_" 

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By the time the noon sun had risen, all five of the couples had parted company. In each bedroom, a similar mushy scene was played out as the young man took his reluctant leave of his fair companion. Each promised to return after certain arrangements had been taken care of. By noon, each of the girls had contentedly curled up in the center of their big beds and enjoyed at least a one-hour nap. At noon however, all five were roused by Leila, Mother Petrucho and Matilda. Quickly, each of the girls was told to go into the Roman style bath that was a silent tribute to Leila's wealth and taste. 

The Roman style bath was a four-foot deep square, lined with expensive white tile. It was large enough to hold at least eight people comfortably. Each of the girls sank into the warm, rose scented water with a contented sigh. Steam curled mistily in the air, curling all the girls' hair and flushing their cheeks.

Amy lay back, her head resting on the curved tiles where the bath met the floor. Her blue-tinted hair curled closely about her face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth curved in a soft smile. As the warm water lapped about them, she softly murmured, "Mmmmm."

Raye, reclining against a wall sideways, her long purple tinted hair caressing her face before cascading into the water, head resting on one arm that was propped up on the floor, agreed. "I second that." she declared, starry-eyed.

Lita was sitting in the shallowest part of the bath, on the lowest step. Her auburn hair was soapy as she looked up from washing her hair. "I agree totally, Netheniel . . ."

Mina interrupted. "I'm in love." she stated dreamily. Her long blond hair swirled in the water as she spun about on her knees as if dancing. An arc of water left her hair, splattering all the girls. 

"Hey!" the other four protested as one, but Mina didn't seem aware of it. Bunny scooted up behind her and ducked under water, grabbing both of Mina's ankles and pulling just hard enough to knock Mina off-balance. Mina, oblivious, went down suddenly and came up just as suddenly, choking out rose flavoured water. The others laughed and Mina splashed them all. In mere moments, the languorous atmosphere disappeared beneath shouts of laughter and protests and shrieks as a five way splash war erupted.

The joviality ended however, the moment Matilda slammed the door open. The large wooden door banged back against the solid rock wall with a doleful bang. The girls froze, laughter dying a quick death as they looked at her glowering face. "Get washed and get dressed." she snapped, looking at them with disapproval. Somehow the girls didn't think it was because of the mess they'd made of the bathing room. 

Quickly the girls rinsed their hair. Only while they were drying off did Amy break the silence. "What do you suppose she's so mad about?" 

Raye spoke softly, "I wonder if this is because of Jerome." It took her a moment to realize that her four friends had said nearly identical sentences at nearly the same time as she did. "Wait, what do you mean?"

They naturally deferred to Amy to speak first. "Well," she blushed, "Vin asked me to be his mistress."

Raye gasped, "So did Jerome."

Lita chimed in, "Netheniel did too."

Mina grinned, unconcerned with the tension, focused only on the romantic notion. "Matteo asked me also." She couldn't believe their luck. All four turned to stare at Bunny, who was lost in her own little world.

Blinking, Bunny noticed she was the center of attention. "What?"

"Well?" came four impatient voices.

"Um, yeah, Darien asked me too." At least, she thought he'd asked. She couldn't get that image of his face when he'd first said he loved her out of her mind.

Each of the girls left the bath, thrilled that they all had met their soulmate but nervous about what had upset Matilda. They dressed hurriedly, pulling on one of their normal gowns and doing their damp hair simply. 

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They were all too nervous to go down one at a time, so they descended en masse. Amy wore a simple gown of faded blue, Raye a dull purple, Lita a severe gown of moss green, Mina a dress of pale orange and Bunny a dress of washed-out pink. All five dresses were threadbare and less-than-flattering, especially compared to the gowns of the previous night. Amy's hair was simply combed back from her face, shining wetly. Raye's was braided back. Lita's was pulled up in a high ponytail. Mina's was done up in a bun at the nape of her neck and Bunny's was up in her favorite hairstyle, her twin buns. Though they once again looked the part of street urchins, the five men watching them still found them entrancing. When the girls noticed the guys, each gave her favored man a look of pure love, one that not even the normally reticent Matteo could resist returning.

Seated at the table and not smiling, were Mother Petrucho, Leila and Matilda. Each of them pinned the young girls with an icy stare. The girls lowered their gazes slowly to the ground. Even the five men felt compelled to look away, turning their gazes instead to the three women barring their path.

Leila was furious. She was certain she knew what would happen to the girls. After only one night of attention by the fickle upper crust, they would be whisked off to the Mancuso estate Darien had inherited on the day he wed. Oh, she was sure it was a beautiful place and would provide the five couples with all the seclusion they could want. However, the day would come when they were no longer beautiful enough or interesting enough and they would be returned to Venice proper, forgotten by all and wanted by none. Indeed, should any of the girls be unfortunate as to get with child, she could quickly see her cast off. At least when she herself had found herself with child, she had been well established so that her year of absence didn't impoverish her!

Mother Petrucho was warring with herself. A part of her rejoiced that these men claimed to love her girls and she had seen plainly that her girls loved them. Though being a mistress wasn't a legal bond, at least it wasn't quite the same as being the lover of a different man each night. She had to admit that the terms the men were offering were incredibly fair as well. In a way, they were asking to outright buy the girls, but then also stated that should anything happen to them, the girls would be left enough money to survive comfortably. However, another part of her heeded Leila's dire warnings and feared for her girls.

Matilda was angry because she thought of the girls as hers. She'd been hired on when Bunny and Mina had come to live with Mother Petrucho and she thought of the four girls as her own and Amy as practically her own. She remembered skinned knees, tears over arguments, and childish hugs and smiles as clearly as if it had been yesterday that she had caught Bunny and Raye arguing over a hair ribbon or Amy reading something to her as she baked or Lita trying to filch a cookie or Mina hugging her goodnight. She simply couldn't imagine life without the girls around. In her mind, these five men were taking her girls away!

The three women began to interrogate the girls, so to speak. For over an hour, they gave their reasons against and the girls argued their points back. The men had left them by request, pacing in another room. They had never imagined this would be so hard! Eventually, they were allowed to come back in. As if by tacit agreement, they ignored the older women, each one making a beeline for his beloved. Darien, standing behind Bunny, studied the three women's faces and knew that they had lost the battle. 

Leila's face was colder than ever. Matilda was crying and Mother Petrucho was looking at them with dismay and hope intermingled on her careworn features. It was an awkward silence that echoed throughout Leila's home as the ten left. The girls didn't even take anything with them. But before they left, Bunny turned and said, "We love you." The other girls murmured the same, but there was no response from the three they left behind.

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In spite of the painful beginning of their relationship, the girls were very happy with their new lives. The house they were all living in was huge! Acres upon acres of lush green land, some of it made into labyrinthine gardens or heavily forested, stretched away from the massive house in all directions. The house itself was large enough that each couple had a large portion to themselves. It took Bunny and Raye's breath away when they raced from one end to the other. 

They spent the days in whatever way appealed to them. Amy's favorite pastime was curled up beneath a large tree with Vin, reading and discussing what they read. Raye and Jerome still argued quite a bit, but they found fencing to be a very interesting way to spend free time. Lita and Netheniel would go for long rides, with Lita shocking them by wearing pants and riding astride! Mina and Matteo would spend their days on the lake, boating, swimming, or whatever else came up. Bunny and Darien spent a lot of time in the rose garden, where one could get lost for hours in its ingenious twists and turns.

Whatever they did, there was always love and laughter. The girls also came up with various ways to entertain themselves, especially when the guys had to return to Venice. Bunny and Mina staged plays. Raye orchestrated singing competitions. Amy took charge of their schooling. Lita baked marvelous meals. The weeks passed by like a perfect dream. 

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A month after the girls were installed as their mistresses, the guys were recalled to Venice. Each one left unwillingly, but duty called. Upon returning home, Darien found a very angry father demanding how he could abandon his wife! "You dare risk offending her powerful father?" he yelled. "You are a Venetian noble! You must have an heir!" 

Darien sighed, knowing his father was right, but dreading even seeing his wife. Slowly he made his way up the steps to her rooms, wishing he was going to be seeing his warmly smiling blonde rather than the icy Beryl. The moment he opened the door, he knew he was in a hell of his own making.

Beryl wasn't beautiful by any standard when she was calm. When she was angry, she grew even less attractive. Her eyes glared accusations at him. Her face was twisted in an unbecoming snarl. Her frizzy red hair was sticking out and she definitely looked as if she had been crying. He approached their bed, feeling as if he was somehow betraying Bunny, when he knew that legally, each night in her loving arms was a betrayal of his wife. 

She didn't say anything as he blew out the candles and lay down on the bed. When he moved over her, she felt a vindictive joy at knowing that at least this night his little whore would be the one to spend a lonely night. Not that she particularly craved Darien's company, it was just a burden wives had to bear. But she took a cruel joy in knowing that she would be the mother of his heirs. 

That thought twisted her lips in a cruel smile that stayed with her long after she drifted off to sleep, curled up on her side of the bed. She never noticed that Darien chose to sleep on the divan in the outer room.

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The guys were gone for a week and the girls missed them terribly. But when they returned, it was as if all the sadness and loneliness of the past week had never happened. As soon as the guys disembarked, each one found his ladylove clinging tightly to him, her face radiating love like the sun does light. They feasted on a light meal before each couple slipped off for some time alone.

It was well into the next day before the first of the couples emerged from their rooms. It was, of course, Raye and Jerome. Embarked on yet another one of their little arguments, Raye was chasing Jerome out into the courtyard when a carriage pulled up. Raye and Jerome immediately straightened up their act and wandered curiously over to the just-stopped conveyance. Almost immediately a man stepped out, overly foppish and quite soggy about the midsection. He stared at the two of them with a decided air of annoyance. Jerome could only glance back and forth between the visitor and Raye. 

Raye felt the back of her neck prickle. Her palms grew sweaty as she recognized something in this man. Her sixth sense was ringing like a bell, but she was too dazed to pay it much mind. Her lips were slightly parted, eyes wide. She stood stock-still as the man ran his impudent gaze over her assessingly, riling Jerome's temper.

The man's cold purple-black eyes studied the young girl before him, hunting out every secret he could on her face. He had recognized Jerome as the second son of the house of Trentini. He knew the boy was not expected to do much, unless some tragedy should happen to his brother, so he dismissed him as easily as Jerome's parents always had. No, it was the girl that interested him. 

Jerome was in awe of the powerful Senator Verocu. He'd never met him before, nor even seen him, but he had heard about the man from Darien. Darien's description of him had forgotten to include "intimidating" and "unnerving". He gulped audibly; only too aware of his low status as the second son of a family that was only moderately aristocratic. It was Raye who gave him the impetus to stiffen his spine as she gave him a bolstering glance.

"Well, I see it is true after all." He looked up suddenly as eight other people spilled out of the house. "It would only be proper to invite me in." he stated with a chilling smile. Raye merely nodded her head and led the way into the dining room, past eight pairs of eyes in varying states of confusion, shock and awe.

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Senator Verocu definitely made himself at home. By his command, Raye sat at his right, Bunny and Mina on his left, Lita on Raye's right and Amy at Lita's right. Darien had deliberately taken the other end of the table, displaying his own power and wealth. In fact, if he were not the heir of Mancuso but the head, he would equal Verocu in power. To his right sat a nervous Jerome and a confused Vincenzo. On his left, Netheniel's eyes never left Lita's face and beside him, Matteo sat as if nothing of import was occurring. 

Raye studied the man she instinctively knew was her father. After a hasty mini-conference with the girls, the story of how she had been found, in all the detail that they remembered had been spilled. Anger radiated through her at the callousness of this man, yet she knew that his behavior was normal. Not natural, but normal for men of this time. Yet logic could not dull the pain of his betrayal.

Verocu was not used to a woman's anger. Still, he was aging and she was his only child. For this reason alone he had sought her out. She was female, and therefore, she could be bought, he thought confidently. He would take her away, find her a wealthy husband who would overlook her lack of innocence and content himself with the knowledge that the house of Verocu would live on, if not in name, then in the blood of her children.

"Raye," he began sonorously, "I am pleased to finally find you, my daughter." Ten eyes swung to him disbelievingly, but he ignored all but Raye. "I have come to take you home."

He expected tears of gratitude and excitement.

What he got was a look of pure contempt. "I am home, Father." When he started to interrupt, she rose to her feet, gesturing to the four girls about her. "This is my family. These four have been my sisters. Though we aren't related, they have given me their love and friendship and I return it. Throughout the cold nights and the hungry days, the arguments and the laughter, we have always been there for each other! You left my mother to die. You left me to die." She strode away from him, heading for the other end of the table. She rested her hand on Jerome's shoulder. "This man is the man I love. I will never leave him willingly." She ended her little speech with a defiant toss of her head. Jerome lifted her other hand to his lips, impressed. She smiled down at him, her heart in her eyes.

Verocu's face changed interestingly. Bunny and Mina were fascinated as his face changed from red to purple and veins stood out in stark relief against his skin. He stared at the impudent wench who dared to defy him. Lita and Amy both readied themselves to aid Raye, not certain what they would do, but determined to protect their friend. His voice was in stark contrast with his appearance. Deadly calm, he spoke in a deceptively quiet voice. "You will go to your room and pack whatever you own and then you will return with me at once."

"Never."

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Verocu broke down. "Fine, here is what I am offering."

"I don't want it!"

"Don't be so sure!" Raye fell silent and Verocu took a calming breath. "If you will return as my heir, I will arrange a marriage between you and Jerome." He waited.

Raye was speechless. Everyone was speechless. It was Darien who took charge. "I believe that would be for the best." Jerome and Raye swung him equally disbelieving looks. Matteo gazed at his goblet of wine, mulling over the day's events. Vincenzo and Netheniel stared in shock. Mina smiled softly, finding romanticism in even the bullying nature of Raye's father. Bunny watched the way Darien just took control, as if it were perfectly natural for him. Amy nodded at the logical and rational outcome. Lita merely stared.

"Do I have your word on that, Father?" Raye demanded suspiciously. 

"Yes."

She turned to Jerome, but didn't have to ask. "Yes, my love." he whispered softly. Her smile was brighter than the sun and she turned to pack.

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In a matter of days, the girls had returned to Venice proper to witness the vows of Raye Verocu and Jerome Trentini. Because of their status, the girls were separated from their lovers. Matteo, Vincenzo and Netheniel attended with their families. Darien had the added burden of his wife. It was only later, when the girls made a brief appearance at the reception, that Bunny got her first look at her rival. Beryl also got her first view of Bunny.

Bunny and Mina were waiting for Lita and Amy to hurry up and join them so that they could leave. It was a long ride back to the Mancuso property and they weren't exactly warmly welcomed by the aristocracy who had come because of obligation. Now that Raye and Jerome were on their way to the bridal chamber, they were no longer being shown the simple courtesy due the bride's friends. They strained to catch a glimpse of their friends in the crowd, when suddenly Bunny gasped. Mina turned to her sister, then followed her stricken gaze. 

Darien was dancing with Beryl, as was expected. She was graceful, but then, she had been raised to be so. He wished she'd been raised to be someone else's wife, he thought bitterly. Happy as he was for Jerome, he bitterly resented that fate hadn't given him the same option with Bunny. Indeed, if he wasn't married, he would first force that obnoxious Senor de la Cruz to acknowledge his daughters, and then force him to let Matteo and himself wed the girls. However, fate had bound him to this snake of a woman. 

Bunny had learned how to read Darien's face by now and she could tell he harbored not one iota of concern for his wife. She also could read Beryl's face well. She could practically feel cruelty and unkindness roiling off the woman. She was a plain little thing and proud. Instant dislike simmered in her heart, hating the woman for having any bond with Darien, resenting her for being fortunate enough to be wed to him yet cold enough to not love him. Jealousy reared its ugly head for a moment, before Bunny ruthlessly quashed it. The only thing that woman had was his name. She would never have his love.

Darien could feel her gaze. He stopped suddenly, swinging Beryl about as if she were merely an object he had completely forgotten he was carrying. He scanned the crowd, knowing he was being obvious and not caring. He needed to see her, to sense her love. There! Over by the door, with her sister! His heart swelled at the sight of her. He was completely unaware of Beryl following his gaze. She watched, hate seething with in her as she saw the object of his attention. Bunny gave him a smile, which said more than she perhaps realized, and his eyes shone. Beryl, having never seen love, classified the look as lust and her contempt grew. She sank her talons into his arm, snapping his bond with the slut as effectively as some more cruel options she had conjured up would have. He looked at her in annoyance and when he turned to find Bunny again, she was gone.

Almost as if on cue, the moment Darien had broken eye contact, Lita and Amy had finally joined them. Mina grabbed Bunny's arm and pulled her away. They headed back to the home, each of the girls but Bunny knowing that their lover would be following shortly.

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Darien had to stay home with Beryl that night in yet another unpleasant attempt to create an heir. The moment the millstone round his neck was asleep however, he slipped out of the house and headed for Bunny. 

It was almost dawn when he finally made good his escape and drew up to the house. He quickly found himself the bathing room, to make sure nothing of Beryl remained to ruin his time with his true love. Then he slipped silently into their room, sliding under the sheets and kissing her awake.

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Gabriella de la Cruz had attended the wedding and had seen her daughters. The pain of giving them up as well as the disease that was slowly killing her made her decide it was time to bare her soul. That night, trembling, the barren woman confessed her sin to her husband. He took the news rather well, delivering her a beating that was less than usual. Perhaps he sensed that she would be gone in a matter of days. Perhaps he had mellowed as he had aged. Whatever the cause, de la Cruz set out the next day to find his daughters. He supposed they should at least get a chance to say goodbye to the woman who had birthed them. 

When he pulled up, Mina and Bunny were both astonished. De La Cruz was obviously the parent they got their fair hair and eyes from, though little else of him marked them. He didn't demand to come inside, or offer either of them his name. He merely told them that their mother was dying. In a matter of moments, the girls and guys were all ready to go, with the exception of Raye and Jerome, who were on their honeymoon. 

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Bunny and Mina entered the darkened room nervously. They had never before been in a sick room. As they gazed down on the sleeping woman whose beauty had been consumed by years of neglect, despair and loneliness as well as fruitless attempts to bear anymore children, they could still see that she was the one they resembled. When she awoke, her pain-dulled brown eyes filled with tears and she held her hands out to them. They knelt on either side of the bed. In a halting whisper, Gabriella tried to tell them why she had sent them away. Tears ran down each of the three faces and the twins assured their mother that they didn't hate her, that they had led good lives. They brought in the men who loved them, assuring her that they were happy and well loved. Darien and Matteo stayed by their sides as the girls introduce Amy and Lita and told their mother about Raye. 

"I'm glad you are happy, my darlings. I tried to give you that." A cough racked the woman's frail body, and all could see that she was fading fast. Her husband leaned in a corner, shadows hiding his face, concealing his thoughts. "I love you." she murmured, the faint light in her eyes fading as she spoke.

The twins quickly vowed their love for her as well, and a soft smile crossed the woman's face before death swooped in gently to carry her away from all the pain and sorrow of her life. The girls could only mourn the passing of the woman who had risked so much to give them life. Amy and Lita wept as well, for their own reasons. Amy wept for her friends' loss, but also for herself. She wished her mother had cared for her. Lita wept for her friends, in empathy. She also wept for herself as she was reminded so clearly of her parents' deaths. Eventually, Matteo and Darien drew the twins up, away from their mother. Netheniel and Vincenzo held onto their lovers, attempting to comfort them as best they could. Netheniel, Lita, Vincenzo and Amy excused themselves, to give Bunny and Mina a few moments alone with their family.

De La Cruz stepped out of the shadows suddenly, blocking the path of his daughters. "You love them?" he questioned in a tone that implied it wasn't really a question. Both blondes nodded. "Well, then, you must be wed. It would make her happy."

Mina stared up at him, hope in her eyes. Matteo froze, but knew that his parents would accept the offer if the de la Cruz name went with it. Bunny merely studied the floor. Darien stiffened beside her, cursing his family. De la Cruz beckoned them out. "Let us talk elsewhere. She must be made ready." Without a backward glance at either the woman who had been his wife or the four staring at him, he swept away.

They sat in his office. Matteo and Mina had already confirmed that they would wed as soon as the proper arrangements were made. Darien, however, had pointed out that he was already married with icy words. Their father's eyebrows had lowered in ominous disapproval. A war of words ensued, while Bunny turned to the window to fight off fresh tears. She couldn't even look at her sister; the compassion in her face was enough to drive Bunny mad.

"Serena!" her father's voice was angry and she assumed he'd called her more than once. She turned to look at him and felt Darien squeeze her hand reassuringly. "Serena, I want you to move in here and I will make you a suitable match."

"I can't."

"What?" de la Cruz's voice resembled a thunderclap.

"I won't marry someone else when I love Darien."

De la Cruz stared at her oddly. "You would prefer to be a mistress." Bunny only nodded mutely. Her father sighed. "Oh whatever, I really only need one heir. Mina is the oldest anyway." He effectively dismissed his unnecessary daughter and turned to Mina and Matteo, plotting their nuptials. Bunny and Darien slipped away.

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The next week was frittered away planning Mina's wedding and then attending it. Once again, the mistresses were separated from their lovers and snubbed the moment the bride and groom slipped behind closed doors. This time, Beryl came too close to Bunny for comfort and she was shocked by the depth of hatred in the woman's eyes. At least this time, Amy and Lita were close at hand and they left quickly.

Early that morning, Darien returned to Bunny's side, to find that she had cried herself to sleep. He decided not to awaken her, contenting himself with just holding her.

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Over the next two weeks, life started to return to normal for the couples. Raye and Jerome and Mina and Matteo returned. Love and laughter again bedecked the mansion and all ten were convinced that the days of pain and loneliness were past. Even when news came that Beryl was expecting, the light in Bunny's eyes was not diminished. Things continued well for over a month. With Beryl pregnant, Darien's duty was temporarily filled and he didn't leave her side again. 

The idyll was shattered though, when on a perfectly beautiful day, a rider approached. With him came missives requiring all five men to report to Venice for posting. Venice was at war with the Turks at last. The French fleet had arrived. They quickly got their gear, instructing their girls to stay put and reminding them that this was their home, they were safe here. With passionate kisses and vows of love, they disappeared from sight, noble warriors off to fight for the sanctity of the Republic.

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Two weeks after they had left for war, Venice began to reel from the worst outbreak yet. The plague had finally hit. The next week saw the arrival of Beryl, Signora Mancuso, and many other ladies escaping the cesspool that had once been the fairest city in Italy. They descended upon the house like a horde of vultures. In a particularly ugly confrontation, Beryl demanded that Bunny, Lita and Amy leave the house. "I will not bear such whores in my husband's house!" she had screamed. Indeed, she would have liked to demand that Mina and Raye leave as well, but their mother-in-laws were in attendance. Mina had declared that no one would send her sisters away. 

They would have still been locked in an ugly battle if a missive hadn't come round the next day. Mother Petrucho wrote to them, telling them that Leila and Matilda were dying. It was the first letter they had received from any of the three women since they had left. Without even speaking a word, each girl had raced to her room to quickly pack before rushing to be with their truest family.

Beryl watched them go with a smirk, knowing exactly what awaited them. Not only was the plague killing everyone in its path, but the zealots were whipping the survivors up into a murderous frenzy. It was the courtesans who were taking the majority of the blame for what had befallen the once-proud city. Even if the plague or the riots didn't finish off her husband's little whore, she had one more trump card. The Doge had invited the Spanish Inquisition to come and it was due to arrive within the month.

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AN: MWAHAHA! A cliffhanger of sorts hehe. Whew, this one doesn't follow my sketch at all, but then Chapter 4 was so much longer than expected that this chapter wasn't even originally a chapter! Well, I had originally planned this with the ending all planned out, but now I'm not sure if it fits so well, so I can make no promises on when Chapter 6 will come out or if it will even be the end. I also want to thank all of you whose wonderful reviews give me the encouragement to keep writing! ~huggles to you all~

   [1]: mailto:Bunnychan@sailormoonfan.com



	7. Venetian Moon: The Promise

Venetian Moon: The Promise

By: Bunniko

[Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com][1]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to Sailor Moon by Naoko-san or "_Dangerous Beauty_" of Regency Enterprises.

Summary: 16th century Venice. The Lunar Court is reincarnated in a Paradise of sorts.

Note: Due to the setting, the English names from the translated manga suit my needs best. (With the exceptions of the Generals.) This is Part 5. I recommend you read the Introduction, Part1: The Encounter, Part 2: The Connections, Part 3: The Beginning, Part 4: The Seduction and Part 5: The Illusion first. 

AN 1: This chapter has taken a long time, both because I am a perfectionist and a student in college. I am very sorry for the delay. You can thank AuroraEosRose and AuroraBorealis for encouraging me in getting this out as quickly as possible. I know I do. Oh, and read their stories, I love them J You can also thank the Coca-Cola Company and Lucky Charms for giving me the energy to spend late nights typing up what I wrote out during the day. I HATE transcription typing! This is the final chapter and it's an epic – Enjoy!

AN 2: I know I posted this the night before (2-12-01), but I had to because my computer was acting screwy and I thought I might lose the whole thing. This is the edited, perfected version ; Ah yes, I AM a perfectionist! 

"_Venice, 1583 - the richest, most decadent city in Europe. Its women were treated as property – few even knew how to read._

But there were some who enjoyed a different fate . . ." ~ opening of "_Dangerous Beauty_" 

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Darien and Matteo were aboard the French ship _Marie_. They were headed for Cyprus. The first wave, which had carried off Vincenzo, Jerome, Netheniel and a host of other lower ranking nobles, was already seeing battle with Turk troops. In another day, they would join their friends, their fellow Venetians and their French allies in a bloody turf war against the Turks.

The last night before they landed, Darien and Matteo both took time to remember the precious moments with their soulmates and to think about the future. It was the last time they could afford to do so until after the battle was over.

The next morning, with all thoughts of home, love and the future pushed away, they joined their comrades on the battlefield. Approximately the same time that Darien and Matteo joined the battle, the plague began to make its slow burn through Venice's most susceptible: the poor, the hungry, the very young and the very old.

Even as hundreds died every day, the courtesans continued their normal lives. The young and the strong nobles, the idealistic and the highly patriotic nobles had left to serve their time and risk their lives for fair Venice. The old, the infirm and the cowardly but rich who could buy others to fight for them, remained at home. Together, those left behind, the courtesans and those too afraid to fight, pretended that nothing was wrong. They had perfect faith that Venice would emerge successfully from both the war and the bothersome epidemic. They danced the night away, enjoyed each other's company, ate far more than they really needed to and ignored the growing turmoil of the lower classes. It wasn't that they were totally insensitive, though in hindsight, they were foolish and careless. They were just so confident in the future that they were already celebrating! But through the lenses of the poor, the sick, the dying and the frightened, this was just another example of the excesses of the upper classes. In their eyes, God had abandoned them. The zealots were right there to take advantage of the growing fear that God had cursed them. It was the zealots who came up with the reasons why God had damned them. When the uneducated masses fall prey to propaganda, when man's fear prevails over common sense, tragedies befall the entire human community.

In the country, Bunny, Mina, Amy, Lita and Raye were isolated from the turmoil and pain. The girls, at a suggestion from Raye, had all clipped a lock of hair from their lover before he had left. When the girls had been younger, they had all saved up a little money from doing odd jobs for Matilda. One day, a peddler selling lockets had induced the girls to part with their hard-earned money. The day their loves left for war, those lockets had finally been put to use. Each lock of hair was wrapped with a piece of paper. On that paper was written a prayer to protect him in battle and in travel and to bring him home safely. The lock of hair and paper were placed inside the locket and the locket would remain about the neck until he came home safely. The locket also became a source of comfort. Whenever fear or loneliness grew too much, the girls would clasp the locket tightly in their hands and focus on their beloveds.

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When Beryl and Signora Mancuso arrived, they brought with them the mothers of each of Darien's friends. Also joining them would be Beryl's closest friend in Rome, Tatiana Veretti. They arrived in state, in ostentatious carriages, with enormous trunks. Each one wore a dress whose modesty was only surpassed by a nun's. Only their faces and hands were visible. Each woman's hair was tightly coiled about her head in a most unflattering style. In contrast, the five girls who had tumbled out in the foyer to see what was going on were much more provocative in appearance. Though they were dressed in fine gowns, the necklines were lower, their arms were bare and their hair was down. Their mere appearance was highly shocking to the prim and proper minds of the new arrivals.

For a tense moment, the women stared at each other warily. Signora Trentini stared at Raye in shock and disapproval. Beryl's hate-filled gaze never left Bunny. Signora Mancuso, always a frail woman and now suffering from consumption, clung to Beryl's arm, looking about her in confusion. Signoras Treviso and Viscusi were blatantly staring at the girls in horror, shocked by their improper attire and appearance. As the silence grew uncomfortable, Signora Luccese decided, for the sake of her son, to attempt a truce.

Crossing the foyer, she approached her daughter-in-law. "Mina, dear, how nice to see you again!" She smiled as warmly as she could, reminding herself that she was the daughter of a powerful man and the wife of her son. In spite of the young blonde's many faults, she knew Matteo loved her and she was determined to treat Mina with the same respect due a properly raised noblewoman. She supposed that Mina couldn't be blamed for all her faults since her family had abandoned her. Suddenly her smile grew truly genuine as she realized she could use this time to mold Mina into a proper wife! She gushed on, to fill the awkward silence. "Isn't it lovely? Signora Mancuso has invited us here to escape all the unpleasantness in the city. Now we shall have a chance to get better acquainted!"

Mina silently sent a prayer to God in thanks for her love of acting. Summoning up her best smile, she returned the woman's words in the same vein, wanting to please Matteo and to have a good relationship with her mother-in-law. "Indeed Mother Luccese, it is a gift of the Lord."

Ashamed, Jerome's mother tried the same tactic with Raye. Raye tried very hard to mimic Mina, but both lacked the genuineness that was quickly becoming evident in Mina and Signora Luccese's conversation. Their stilted conversation finally died off, leaving another silence in the hall. Beryl filled it rather suddenly, raising the discomfort level as well as her voice.

"I will not have these whores in my house!" she shrilly declared. Signora's eyes rolled upwards at the word 'whores' and by the end of Beryl's shriek, she had collapsed in a dead faint. Beryl staggered under the sudden and unexpected weight of her mother-in-law, but her icy gaze never left Bunny. "You will remove yourselves at once!" she ordered imperially, flicking her gaze to encompass Amy and Lita as well.

Mina stiffened. "You will not command my sisters to leave." Beryl's sneer conveyed what she thought of Mina's exclamation.

Lita rose to the challenge. "This house is part of the reward Darien received for complying with his family's wishes and wedding a bitch like you!" Beryl paled and several of the women present gasped. Luckily, Signora Mancuso had not awakened or she would have no doubt fainted again at Lita's words. Lita ignored the reactions, going for blood now. "Darien alone owns this place and he told us to stay here until his return."

Beryl actually hissed. Though they had kept their silence during the exchange, the mothers of Darien's friends secretly wondered at Beryl's behavior. Noble women were trained from birth to be silent, gentle, soft-spoken, polite and even-tempered. Beryl was actually being insolent! It was simply shocking!

Finally, the tense silence was broken, this time by Tatiana's arrival. Sweeping in late, she gasped as she noticed Signora Mancuso. Quickly she prodded the girls, assuming they were servants, into helping the woman get ensconced in a bedchamber. The mothers, Beryl and Tatiana then set about selecting rooms, still far too close for comfort in the girls' opinions. Beryl even had gone so far as to ferret out Bunny and Darien's room. Bunny, entering her room, had been shocked and hurt to discover that Beryl had ordered all of Darien's things removed to her room. She wavered between anger and devastation, but refused to cry, knowing Beryl would find pleasure in her pain.

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The next day promised to be no better. Out of courtesy to the noblewomen, the girls arose early, wore their most modest gowns and styled their hair in a more confined manner. They joined the women for breakfast. Breakfast was a strained and silent affair; the only conversation was a discussion between Signoras Luccese and Trentini. They had caught themselves up in a detailed discussion enumerating all the things that Raye and Mina would have to do and obtain in order to fill their proper roles. 

After nearly an hour of lectures on the proper gowns, shoes, hairstyles, manners and the like, Beryl rose from her seat and inquired nastily if the 'whores' had finished packing. She further informed them that one of the carriages was already waiting outside to take them back to Venice. It was clear she expected no disobedience. Mina took charge of the argument, declaring again that her sisters would not be forced to leave. Lita, Bunny, Amy and Raye all took a great interest in the argument, though the older women, especially Signora Mancuso seemed shocked. Tatiana held her napkin to her lips, struggling not to laugh. The argument, however, was staved off by the sudden appearance of a messenger, looking for Amy.

All eyes swiveled to the petite girl who read the missive swiftly, her blue eyes widening. She rose politely, excusing herself with an uncharacteristic air of distraction, then hurried out of the room. The four girls glanced at each other in surprise, murmured their own apologies and raced after her. They flew down the corridor til the reached Amy's room. Mina, the last to arrive, slammed the door heavily behind her. Four pairs of worried eyes bored into Amy's blue ones. 

"Amy, what's happened? What is it?" Raye demanded.

"It's Mother Petrucho. She says that something horrible has happened and that we must return at once. She begs us to return swiftly." Each of the girl's eyes filled with worry and confusion. Not one of them spoke as their thoughts raced. Even though they had parted on awkward terms, love and loyalty still burned bright, calling the girls to obey Mother Petrucho's plea. Without a word, they packed up; gathering up treasured items and clothing hastily. Bunny, Amy and Lita waited inside the carriage that Beryl had arranged for early that morning while Raye and Mina bid polite farewells to their mother-in-laws. All five were so caught up in their concerns that not one noticed Beryl as she watched them leave. If they had, the slightly triumphant look in her eyes, the evil grin on her face, would have chilled them to the bone.

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The fighting had been fierce from the moment the battle begun. Both Darien and Matteo's battle armours were stained with blood, both friend and foe's. Darien had held his father as he died.

Signore Mancuso had taken a short sword to the stomach yet had continued fighting until he lost too much blood to stand. The man who had stabbed him died by Darien's hand. Darien stayed at his father's side throughout the fight, amazed by the passion and fervor in his father's eyes. Signore Mancuso fought fiercely, occasionally raising his voice to bellow out patriotic phrases, which served to heat the blood of both sides. His love for Venice was displayed by the wanton way he spilled enemy blood . . . and his own. Though his wound was grievous, he never slackened until his own blood slicked the ground beneath him. His sword slipped from his hand, his body slid nervelessly to the ground. Darien caught him at the last moment, dragging him to the sidelines, leaning him up against a tree. For some reason he couldn't quite define, Darien didn't want his father's last view of the world to be the sight of men hacking each other apart. He didn't want the last sounds his father heard to be the screams of the dying, the wounded, the battle-crazed. He wanted his father's final breath to be clean, not tainted with the dust of battle. Signore Mancuso was beyond the pain, beyond awareness as he reclined, staring up at a beautiful blue sky. Overhead, a gentle sun rained warm light down on the carnage of man. A sea-scented breeze became a part of his last breath. Whispered on that gentle wind, "For Venice!" the last words of a patriot.

When Signore Mancuso's soul departed, Darien paused for only a moment before rejoining the battle. From his father's body, he took his jewelry, the crest that proclaimed him a senator, the signet ring of the house of Mancuso and his father's sword. He would return later, if possible, to bury his father. He could not stomach the idea of his father's belongings becoming the property of some battlefield scavenger who spent his nights robbing the dead and the dying. Sheathing his own sword at his side, he fought til nightfall with his father's blade, until the encroaching darkness necessitated a temporary cessation of combat.

Each side retreated to their own camp, but watchfires were built high, their light piercing the veil of night. He sat in its fickle illumination with Matteo. It was there, eating something poorly cooked and better left unidentified, sitting in silence, forcing back memories, that Netheniel found them.

His long brown hair was matted with blood and grime, his clothing and armour gore-soaked, a cocky grin on his face. Matteo shook his head, his own white locks battle-decorated. Darien looked at his unshaven, gore covered friend and hid a grimace as he speculated about his own appearance. Jerome and Vincenzo ambled up a moment later, equally smattered with blood, gore, sweat and dirt. They ate in silence, accompanied Darien in burying his father in silence, then returned to a watchfire, to sit, staring into the flames in silence. They slept in turns fitfully, haunted by dreams of home only to awake in hell. The cries of the dying occasionally rent the air, making true sleep even more elusive. 

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The girls returned home in a state of shock. Venice was dying! Everywhere they looked, men, women and children lay dead or dying right on the street! Houses bore chilling black X's and most of the gondolas now ferried the dead to places of disposal. Zealots expounded on every street corner, blaming the plague on the courtesans and the grave sinners in Venice. Of course, since it would not be wise to blame the nobility outright, it was the courtesan that the zealot blamed most stridently. The girls shivered as they caught glimpses of hate in the eyes of those they passed, but they drew themselves up. They would not fear these zealots!

As unnerving as the ride to Mother Petrucho's house was, it had not prepared them for the heart-stopping fright they discovered when they approached their childhood home. There, painted hideously on the outer wall, a silent warning of death, was a giant black X. Fear nipped at their fancy heels as they raced inside.

No one greeted them when they entered the main room. Lita led a charge up the stairs, meeting up with an exhausted Mother Petrucho on her way down. Her face was pale, her hair in disarray, her body thin, the basket of linens she carried appearing to be far too heavy for her. Lita snatched it from her, whirling about, heading for the kitchen. Raye and Mina were the next closest and they supported Mother Petrucho, coercing her into adjourning to her room and getting some rest. Bunny and Amy entered the room the girls had once shared. It stank with the distinctive odor of sickness. The drapes were closed, sealing the room in a gloomy darkness. Two women lay in the gloom, moaning and tossing.

Amy ran to her mother's side, Bunny to Matilda's. Basins of water were sitting near each woman, and the girls gently bathed the sick women, washing away the fever-induced sweat and trying to cool them down. Mina and Raye joined Amy and Bunny once they had been assured that Mother Petrucho was resting. Lita came upstairs with some broth. Bunny and Amy were appointed as nurses to Matilda and Leila respectively. Lita handled cooking and washing. Raye, Mina and, to a lesser extent, the other three undertook a deep cleaning of the house, beginning with the sickroom. 

Though Mother Petrucho had always managed to spare her girls such menial labors, their determination soon had the house smelling and looking like a healthy, happy home. The sickroom was now bright, there were always clean linens and fresh water and good food available. The girls grew accustomed to their old dresses again. Matilda and Leila were not recovering, but they weren't worsening either.

Within two weeks though, they were running low on foodstuffs. Lita and Bunny set out for market. Though food was much more expensive now, they weren't concerned. Lita and Bunny were supervising the loading of their purchases into the gondola when the crowd turned ugly. Some poor young boys in ragged clothes caught hold of both girls. Bunny attempted to struggle free, stumbling back. Unwilling to let her get off easy, punches were thrown at her, as if from all sides. She managed to take a few punches rather well, until one caught her completely off-balance, sending her splashing into the canal. She came up spluttering, aided by the gondolier more out of the knowledge that she had money rather than any real compassion on his part.

Normally, the sight of Bunny falling into the canal would have frozen Lita in place. However, the night Netheniel had comforted her so tenderly seemed to have soothed her demons. She only stayed still long enough to see Bunny come up, furious but alive. Her concern made her an easy target though. A woman slapped her; another spit on her. Two boys punched her. She stumbled back under the blows, occasionally hitting back as her temper flared. A solid blow caught the side of her face, sending her reeling back from the crowd. She found herself on a narrow walk, between the canal and a building. The crowd was forced to thin as it strained to reach her and Bunny and the gondolier took advantage, pulling Lita into the gondola, away from the cursing crowd.

The next night, Matilda took a turn for the worse. By morning Leila had also. Even Mother Petrucho didn't seem too healthy. Leila lost track of the present, calling out for Evan. Amy couldn't comfort her. Matilda stayed lucid to the end. She interrogated each of the girls, desperate to hear that they were happy, that their young men were treating them right. They assured her that they were. She passed away peacefully in the afternoon, content that her girls were safe. Leila died a few hours later, never returning to the present, still calling for Evan.

Late that afternoon, while Mother Petrucho tossed and turned in a restless sleep, Bunny and Mina carried Matilda out. Her body was covered in a sheet; a gondola half-filled with the dead waited outside the house. Lita and Raye were preceded by Amy as they carried out Leila's sheet-draped body. As the two men manning the barge of the dead unceremoniously dumped Matilda's body on the pile, Amy took a step back, then another. Tears blurred her eyes as she moved away from the horrible scene. She failed to realize how much distance she had put between her and her friends until she became aware that she was encircled by hostile faces.

In front of her was a courtesan. Her colored hair fell over her face. She was tied in a frame that resembled a doorframe. Her hands hung limply, stretched high over her head and to the sides, bound at the wrists to the corners of the frame. Her feet were bound apart as well. Her gown's back was ripped away, her skin marred with bloody lash strokes. Amy knew from the way her head lolled that the woman was dead. She swung her gaze away, only to find a more horrific sight. An empty frame and a sneering man in black robes filled her vision.

By this time, Leila's body had been taken. The four girls looked around in confusion for Amy. Then they heard yells.

"Kill the whore!"

"Make her pay for what her kind has brought upon us!"

Lita and Bunny winced at the familiar shouts. All knew instinctively that Amy was in danger. Mina took charge. "Bunny, Lita, you stay." When both looked ready to argue, she continued. "Raye and I are nobility now." Not that the rabble would know that, but she hoped it would prevent them from arguing. It didn't, so she was forced to continue. "You and Lita are still courtesans. And besides you are both still bruised." A moan from inside the house settled the issue and Lita and Bunny surrendered, rushing in to check on Mother Petrucho. Raye and Mina rushed off to aid Amy.

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Beryl was in excruciating pain. Her baby was coming early. She lay in her bedchamber, screaming in agony. Signora Mancuso had summoned a midwife only to learn that the midwives, like the doctors, had already succumbed or were succumbing to the plague. An apprentice midwife had been found, but the poor girl was intimidated by Beryl. She was also very uncertain, having never witnessed a difficult delivery. They had already ascertained that the baby needed to be turned, but when the poor child had tried to explain to Beryl what needed to be done, Beryl had gone into almost an hour long rant about various Biblical admonitions. In the end, after twenty hours of labor, when Beryl was too exhausted to fight, she was unable to prevent them. Signora Mancuso stood in the doorway, looking in on Beryl.

Her red hair was sweat-soaked and matted. Her red-brown eyes were dull and pain-glazed. Her face was paler than the white nightgown she wore. She lay as still as death, her breathing shallow, her eyelids struggling with each slow blink, as if begging to stay closed. Her head was lolled to the side as she stared at nothing. Signora Luccese moved then, pinning Beryl's arms down. Signora Mancuso turned away just before the apprentice turned the babe, but she wasn't able to escape Beryl's scream.

An hour later, Beryl gave birth to a healthy, fat, screaming son, who seemed none the worse for his difficult birth. Beryl never saw him. Her eyes no longer saw the present. In her mind, she was envisioning the horrors she hoped Darien's whore was suffering. The image of Darien and that whore dancing suddenly filled her mind. She knew that she was dying. She knew just as certainly that as soon as she was gone, he would go to her. A tear slid down her face, not a tear of sadness, but a tear of envy. She hated them for their happiness. Her last thoughts were of the revenge she had dreamt up. She imagined Darien returning home to find his mistress scarred and mutilated. She imagined her face as he rejected her. A cruel smile drifted across her face as she grew still.

Signora Luccese turned from the washing of the babe to Beryl. She lay there, glassy-eyed, a chilling smile on her face. "She's dead," she murmured, crossing herself. "God have mercy on her soul." Then she looked down on the squalling, hungry infant. "And on yours, motherless one."

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Signora Mancuso did not recover. Convinced her son and husband were as dead as her daughter-in-law, she barely glanced at her grandson. She withdrew from reality more with each passing day. The apprentice found a healthy wet-nurse for the lad, but he still had no name. Yet he thrived, even though he got very little affection and was viewed more as a burden than as a gift.

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The battlefield stank. It was a Sunday and a truce had been negotiated. Each side was combing the dead for the living. Vincenzo and Jerome were looking for their friends, searching both the dead and the living. Vincenzo found Darien and Matteo together. Matteo had taken a bolt in his right shoulder and Darien was trying to help remove it. However, a deep gash in Darien's left arm was causing difficulties. Vincenzo gazed at both of them, having not yet been noticed. Ascertaining that they would both survive, he leaned his right side laconically against a tree and cleared his throat. When both looked at him, he gave them a cocky grin. "Lemme guess. I should see what you did to the other guy?" Darien smiled, a strange sight on his gore-covered face, but Matteo only rolled his eyes.

"Do something worthwhile!" he ordered. Vincenzo slowly complied, removing the bolt with almost insulting ease to Darien's way of thinking. Then he placed cloths over both men's wounds and they headed back to camp.

Jerome's luck wasn't quite as good at Vincenzo's. While searching, he crossed over a dead Turk. Only problem was the Turk was only half-dead. He attacked Jerome, sinking a dagger into Jerome's right thigh. Jerome fell to one knee, stunned by the raging pain. Instinct took over, knocking the man's dagger away. Drawing his own dagger, Jerome buried it in the Turk's chest, right up to the hilt. He stayed like that for a long moment before finally hobbling on, determined to complete his task before seeking a medic. He literally fell over Netheniel.

Netheniel was lying half-propped up against -- something. Jerome thought it was a rock, but there were bodies draped over everything. Netheniel's shirt was soaked in blood and his color was bad. His eyes were half-closed, but he looked at Jerome with recognition. "Hey."

"Neth! Are you hurt?"

"Yeah." Netheniel replied, too slowed by loss of blood to snap at his friend's dumb question. He lifted his shirt, revealing a long, shallow cut to his chest. The slash extended from his right abdomen to an inch or two below his ribs on the left. It wasn't especially deep, but it was obvious that it had been bleeding for quite a while now. Jerome, unable to support Netheniel on his own, was forced to call two men over to help them return to camp.

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Vincenzo enjoyed being the golden child, the only uninjured one for the rest of the truce. As soon as the truce ended though, he was back out there, drenched in blood. The war was going badly. Before his friends had fully healed, orders came. Cyprus was lost. They were to return to Venice at once. By the time the ships set sail, Darien, Matteo and Jerome were moving about with relative ease, though they were still healing. Netheniel was still confined to bed-rest. Leaving with many less men than they had arrived with, all five managed to get on the same boat. This proved to be the only thing that save Vincenzo's life when his charmed existence ran out. The third night at sea, Vincenzo came down with a fever.

It wasn't as bad as it could have been. He had to be isolated, but Darien made sure that he was well cared for. Vincenzo pulled through, many pounds lighter, much paler, but looking forward to seeing his sweet Amy again. The night Vincenzo was allowed up and about again, the five spent the night on deck, studying the night sky and discussing their plans for when they finally returned home.

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Raye and Mina couldn't get to Amy. They could see her, bound like the dead courtesan. The back of her dress had been ripped away and a man stood behind her, a whip in his hand. A zealot stood before her, denouncing her, heaping accusations and blame on her head. 

Raye snorted, "He sure doesn't know Amy." Mina nodded, still straining to get through the crowd. On the other side, she could see a man easily moving through the crowd. He was hooded, dressed in the same black as the zealots, which made the crowd part for him.

A sharp crack rent the air and Raye and Mina stared in helpless horror at a thin line marring Amy's back. The horror began to fade as rage boiled up within them as the line turned red and blood began to drip down her exposed skin. A soft cry had escaped Amy, but she struggled to stave off tears. It wasn't the actual whip that hurt, she reasoned as she waited for the next blow. It was the anticipation of the pain that hurt. The knowing it was coming, the helplessness to stop it. 

The hooded man had reached her now. He stepped between Amy and the whip-wielder. He drew a knife, slicing through her bonds swiftly. Tossing her over his shoulder, he spoke only one word in his ominous voice. "Move!"

That one word scattered the crowd. Easily intimidated, they found him to be more specter than man. Indeed, by nightfall, the story had spread that Satan himself had rescued one of his whores.

The hooded man was hardly Satan, nor was he a saint. Raye and Mina rushed forward, eager to claim their friend and get her home. He stopped them with an outstretched hand. They stared at him in confusion, until he gestured for them to lead him. Bemused, they escorted him to their childhood home. His footsteps did not falter when he beheld the giant X; he merely followed them in, finally releasing her to their care. Lita tended to Amy after whispering to the late arrivals that Mother Petrucho was dying.

Raye escorted the man downstairs and offered him some stew. He gratefully accepted. Mina joined Bunny and Mother Petrucho. Lita gently cleansed Amy's back and applied a slave to the ugly red ridge. 

Bunny was sitting beside Mother Petrucho. "How is she?"

"She's too weak. She hasn't the strength. She used it all caring for Matilda and Leila."

Mina hung her head. "Two mothers lost."

Bunny spoke softly. "But you still have your mother-in-law. She seems to be trying to care."

"But she'll never love me the way Mother Petrucho did." Mina was crying openly now. Bunny slipped her arms about her twin. She was already cried out and didn't know what to say.

Raye set a trencher down in front of him and managed to control her curiosity long enough for him to eat a bite or two. "Who are you?"

The hood tilted slightly. Then the hood was pushed back, and Raye found herself staring into eyes that were so like Amy's that she got chills. "Evan." She breathed. Shock filled the man's eyes, but before he could speak, she answered his unspoken question. "She died calling for you." 

She instantly cursed her runaway tongue as the man's eyes clouded with pain. "So she's gone. I'm too late." 

"I – I'm sorry, I"

He cut her off. "My daughter . . . tell me of her." He sat silently as Raye obeyed.

Lita cared for Amy in silence. The girl lay on her stomach, head cradled in her arms, deep in thought. Lita thought it best to leave her in peace . . . for a while.

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Word had finally reached the Venetian fleet about the plague in Venice. As the ships raced home, each man prayed for their loved ones.

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Mother Petrucho and Signora Mancuso passed away on the same day. Only one was genuinely mourned. With no reason to stay, the girls packed up and returned to Darien's home, to honor the wished of their lovers. Evan accompanied them. He and Amy became very close, finding a loving parent-child relationship. Evan extended his heart to all the girls and they all grew very fond of him.

They arrived at the manor in due course. With Beryl gone, they were treated with more courtesy. Their presence soon began to change things. Raye and Mina made extra efforts to get along with their mothers-in-law. Bunny took charge of Darien's son, christening him Daryl. She respected Beryl's memory as his mother, but she loved him, both for his own sake and for Darien's. Under her loving care, Daryl flourished. Lita and Amy began to study how to behave like proper noble ladies with Raye and Mina. Signoras Viscusi and Trentini began to take notice of them.

Mina became violently ill three days after their arrival. At first everyone was frightened that the plague had caught her, but when they learned she was expecting, they made a collaborative effort to pamper and protect her. The stress she had been under had made her more delicate and Beryl's death only served to haunt them.

That was where their men found them.

Amy was walking in the gardens with Evan. Vincenzo was furiously jealous, until she saw him. She flew across the garden into his arms, laughing and sobbing. It was several minutes before he was properly introduced to her father.

Raye was deep in conversation with her mother-in-law when Jerome suddenly lifted her up, bid his mother a polite good afternoon and carried his wildcat off to their bedroom.

Lita was baking molasses cookies for Mina when a hand reached out for one of the ones that were cooling. Reflexively, she slapped the hand away, scolding, "Netheniel, be patient." She returned to stirring her molasses mixture for perhaps ten seconds before she froze. Turning, she stared at his broadly grinning face. "Netheniel!" He swept her into his arms and the cookies were forgotten as he kissed her hello.

Mina was sleeping. Matteo's mother had scolded him quite strenuously, insisting that he must not surprise, excite or upset her in any way. He was dying to see her, to hold her, to the changes his child was making to her body. He slipped in quietly, standing in the shadows, gazing at her. Finally, unable to resist her a moment longer, he slid to the floor beside her. Kneeling there, he gently kissed her awake. When she awoke, he moved to the bed to kiss her senseless.

Bunny was in the nursery. She was standing near the window, sunlight glinting off her blond buns. Daryl slept peacefully in her arms as she hummed a soothing tune. Darien's heart melted at the sight of his son in her arms. It took this image for the realization that he was free to fully sink in. He crossed the room quickly. Bunny turned, her mouth a perfect "O". He gazed down at his son, running a finger gently over his cheek. Then he lifted the little one from her arms and placed him in the cradle. Bunny opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head. He led her back to the window, placing her in such away that the sunlight seemed to dance around her. He dropped to one knee. The look on his face froze her. "Marry me."

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One year later:

Amy and Vincenzo and Lita and Netheniel were married right away. Mina gave birth to twins, one boy and one girl. They named them Jarell and Sara. Raye gave birth to a daughter two months later and they named her Rose. Bunny and Darien waited the conventional year of mourning before marrying. They married a week after Daryl's first birthday. They all continued to live on the country estate, though plans were in the works to enlarge the manor.

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Well Minna-san – whaddya think? I finally finished it!!! Gomen for the delay. My sister thought it would be so kind of her to share her virus with me. She's such a sweet kid. First she gave me chicken pox, then strep throat and now this. I ONLY get sick from her grrrr lol Ah well, I hope you find the ending worthy of the time it took to get it up. It is nowhere near the original ending, but muses are fickle friends. Please, feel free to tell me all your thoughts! Doomo arigato gozaimashita for reading! *bows* Until next time!

~Bunniko

   [1]: mailto:Bunnychan@sailormoonfan.com



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